


Heart by Heart

by getsomefic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments (Movies), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Awkward Flirting, Bad Parent Maryse Lightwood, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Boyfriends, Boys Kissing, Confessions, Confident Alec Lightwood, Crushes, Feelings Realization, First Crush, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Flustered Alec Lightwood, Good Sibling Isabelle Lightwood, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Protective Magnus Bane, Secret Crush, Shy Alec Lightwood, Supportive Isabelle Lightwood, Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26992186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/getsomefic/pseuds/getsomefic
Summary: Alec likes a guy in college, but then he catches Magnus looking at him quite a few times. He is already going through a tough time and this leads to a turmoil of emotions and he starts questioning himself. What does he want? Does he like Andrew? Does he like Magnus? Does he like them both? And what will he do about it?
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 14
Kudos: 75





	1. Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction. I really admire Malec and this is my own version of how their journey could be in an alternate universe. Let me know if you like it!

It was the first day of the semester, the last semester of college. Alec walked into his class and greeted his friends, Jace and Aline. He was happy to be back to college, summer break at his home was exhausting and at times, frustrating. But that wasn’t the only reason he was happy. Alec smiled internally as he saw the blonde boy enter the class wearing a maroon jacket and dark blue jeans, his hair longer than the last time he had seen him and that same spark in his eyes- Andrew, the boy he had a crush on for two years. Alec couldn’t put a finger on why exactly he liked him, he hadn’t even talked to him. Andrew seemed like a good guy, well except his friends. If there was something Alec didn’t like about Andrew, it was the company he kept. They were loud and obnoxious, always disturbing the class or not coming to class. Some of them were even rude to the professors. Alec knew ‘birds of the same feather flock together’, but he just couldn’t accept that the gorgeous blonde boy was like his friends. Speaking of friends, Alec’s friends had no idea about his crush, except his sister Izzy. He didn’t really know how to say it out loud, Izzy was the one to ask him and he had told her. Bringing his mind back to the lecture, he couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Andrew. His annoying friends didn’t accompany him today, yet. Just as the lecture ended, two guys entered the class and immediately approached Andrew. ‘Ugh’ Alec thought. The lectures went on, and Alec kept glancing at Andrew from time to time. One of those times, while bringing his gaze back to the professor, his eyes met someone else’s and his heart skipped a beat. Almost immediately the person looked away. Alec couldn’t believe what just happened, he almost thought he was mistaken. ‘Must have been just a coincidence. Why would he look at me?’ Alec brushed it off thinking it was nothing because the person who he had caught eyes with was none other than Magnus Bane, the hottest guy in the class, maybe even the entire college, at least that’s what Alec thought. Whatever it was, he was way out of Alec’s league and hence, there was no possibility that he was looking at Alec. The lectures ended, Alec said his goodbyes to Jace and Aline and went to his dorm. Soon his phone buzzed, it was Izzy. 

“Hey Iz”

“Hey big bro. How was college? Checked out Andrew?”

“I’m not telling you that.”

“Oh, come on!”

“I looked at him a few times.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Did he look at you?”

“No. I don’t know”

“Ugh! When are you going to talk to him?”

“Never.”

“Why?” 

“Have you met me? I’m awkward as hell.”

“How do you know that? You haven’t flirted with anyone.”

“Yeah but I get nervous even when he’s around, so I can imagine how worse it will be if I talk to him.”

“You are hopeless.”

“I know.”

“Fine. Be like that and you’ll never find anybody.”

“Izzy!”

“Okay sorry. That was uncalled for. I want you to be happy. If you are happy just looking at him, then its fine. But you definitely want more, don’t you?”

“Maybe. But its not that easy. I don’t even know him that well. What if he’s not really good? What if he’s like his friends?”

There was silence was a moment. 

“So, you are afraid to find out whether he is actually like you think him to be. Is that why you don’t want to talk to him?”

“That may be a reason.” Alec mumbled. His sister knew him too well. 

“There are other reasons?”

“Well.” Alec laid back on his bed. “He’s popular, he has so many friends….”

“That’s bullshit. You are more confident than that.”

“Its overwhelming, his social life. I’m not like him.”

“Yeah so we get back to my reason. You are afraid to find out about him.”

“I...”

“Look Alec, I know there is a possibility that he is as terrible as friends and but there is also a possibility that he is not anything like them. He’s just figuring out things and got involved in bad company. You of all people can understand that.”

“Yes, I know.” Alec sighed. “But the thing is I’m afraid to know the truth either way.”

“What? Why?”

“Because, if he is terrible then I won’t feel happy when I see him. I would feel bad that I had a crush on such a person. And if he is indeed like what I think he is then…” Alec stopped talking

“Then? That would be a good thing, right?”

Alec didn’t say anything. He didn’t know whether he should say it aloud.

“Alec? Are you there?”

“Yeah. I…If he is indeed the amazing person I think he is, then I am afraid I would like him even more.”

Izzy was quiet, probably waiting for her brother to say something more.

“I don’t want to get hurt Izzy.”

“Oh Alec. I am sorry.”

“Its okay.”

“I didn’t think that you feel this way. I won’t push you about this anymore. Just, don’t shut yourself completely, you know. You have to take some chances in life and they may end up in you getting hurt but if you don’t take them, you may regret it later.”

Alec sighed.

“But if you want to protect yourself right now, I understand. You have been through a lot.”

“Thanks Iz.”

“Just keep talking to me like this. Don’t shut me off, please.”

“I wont.”

“Okay I gotta go do my assignment. You’ll be alright?”

“I’m alright Izzy. I’ll talk to you later. Bye”

“Bye.”

Alec sighed putting down his phone next to him. He had finally admitted it. He was afraid of getting hurt. Andrew was his first crush. Well, the first crush that he admitted having, the first crush that lasted this long. He was afraid that if he confessed his feelings towards Andrew and Andrew didn’t return them, it would break his heart and as is Izzy had said he had been through a lot. He didn’t know whether he would be able to handle rejection from someone whose mere sight made him happy. And then there was this possibility that Andrew may not be the person Alec thought he was. That would make Alec feel worse about himself. It just been a year since Alec had finally accepted himself and had become confident in his own skin. If he found that the one guy he liked for so long was a jerk, his self-confidence would take a hit. He couldn’t let any of that happen, not now. 

‘Okay, no more thinking about Andrew. I have to do something else.’ So he took out his laptop and searched for a good movie. He ended up watching Little Women while eating some leftover pizza from last night and absolutely not drooling over Timothee Chalamet.   



	2. Izzy Visits

The week went by and so did his classes. Andrew didn’t show up the last two days but he had definitely caught Alec staring at him thrice that too on the same day. By this time, Alec could safely assume that Andrew knew that Alec looked at him more than often for it to be coincidence, but he didn’t care. Some part of him wanted Andrew to know, he wanted to see his reaction. He thought if Andrew would notice it more, maybe he would initiate a conversation but he never did. Alec felt weird at times when Andrew’s friend, Sebastian gave him strange looks, but he chose to ignore him. What actually affected Alec was that he had caught Magnus looking at him a few times during the week. Unlike his crush, Magnus came to class every day and sat at Alec’s line of sight. Alec didn’t want to admit it but even he couldn’t stop himself from looking at Magnus. He couldn’t call him a crush because he already had a crush but still when their eyes met, he felt something tingling inside him. He didn’t know how to explain it, to himself or to anyone else, but he felt good. 

“Oh God! That economics lecture was so boring, I could barely keep my eyes open.” Jace said.

“Tell me about it. I kept zoning out half of the time.” Said Aline.

“I don’t know whose idea it was to keep economics as the last lecture.” Jace groaned.

“I don’t know who hired Mr. Hodge as a professor.” Alec said.

“Exactly!” 

“What are you guys planning to this weekend?” Alec asked.

“Well, I have my drama class tomorrow and on Sunday, I plan to clean my dorm.” Aline took weekly drama classes at a local drama school as well. She didn’t act though. She was more into the backstage work- directing, music composition, lighting and sometimes even costumes and makeup. She was good at it, specially directing and music. Alec thought she was a natural.

“I am going to catch up on sleep and play Fortnite.” Said Jace. “That reminds me, how does a Sunday game night sound?” he looked expectantly at Aline and Alec.

“And the game will be Fortnite?” asked Aline.

“Uh huh!” 

“No!” Both Aline and Alec said in unison.

“Oh come on!” Jace whined.

But Alec and Aline had already started walking away. Jace had no other choice than catch up to them. They bid their farewells and went to their individual dorm rooms. As Alec neared his room, he saw a girl standing outside. She was wearing black jeans and a purple t-shirt that said ‘Always Right’. When she saw him, she smiled widely and walked up to him. 

“Izzy, what are you doing here?”

“What do you think I’m doing? It’s the weekend, I came to see you.”

“Why?”

Izzy frowned. “Am I not allowed to meet my brother?”

“No I didn’t mean it like that. Just…you don’t usually show up like this, out of nowhere.” 

“Well…” Izzy looked down.

“Is something wrong?”

“Yeah.” She kept looking down.

“What is it?” Alec moved closer to Izzy, placing his hand on her shoulder. 

“I didn’t tie my shoelaces right.”

“Wha...” Alec looked down and saw Izzy’s shoelaces were tied haphazardly. Being an extremely organized person, Alec shuddered at the sight, almost wanting to reach down and fix them. But he looked back up at Izzy who was grinning.

“Seriously Iz.” He rolled his eyes.

“Are we going to stand here all day?” 

“Fine. I’ll let you in but you have to tell me what’s wrong because I know there is something and its not your shoelaces.” He moved to the door taking out his key and looked at Izzy’s shoes again. “Which by the way you need to fix.” Izzy shrugged.

Alec pushed the door open and took off his shoes next to the door. Izzy was walking straight into the room. “Hey! Take off your shoes! I won’t tolerate dirt on my carpet.” He yelled. “Okay mom.” Izzy replied and walked back to the place Alec had taken his shoes off. “Happy?” she asked after taking off her shoes and walking over to his bed. Alec looked at her shoelaces again, clearly not happy but he decided that was not more important right now. 

“So, what’s the matter?” Alec asked.

“Hmm?” Izzy was looking at her phone. It looked like she was checking for any notifications. 

“I know for a fact that you don’t give me surprise visits, so there must be something bothering you. Talk to me.” Alec went and sat next to her.

“Its just mom and dad.” Izzy sighed.

“What happened? Did they fight again?”

“No. They don’t even talk. It’s a pain to sit at the dinner table, all of us eating in silence. Max tries to make some conversation but mom and dad only say as little as required.” Izzy looked down at her hands. “Its like living with two robots.”

Alec thought about what to say. He knew that his parents relationship was not good. They clearly hadn’t thought things through when they got married. They thought having children would solve the issue but of course it didn’t. Its not like they didn’t try, but when two people are not compatible, its difficult to sort out differences. Alec remembered the last time they had a fight. It was like two weeks back, when Alec was at home. It had started with something else but ended with them yelling about the what they hate about each other. 

“Why don’t they just get divorced Alec? Why make us go through this as well? Don’t they think about what effect this would have on us, on Max?”

“Well, they clearly don’t. I wish I could talk to them but its not like they would listen to me.” 

“Ugh! When do I get to move out?”

“Hey Iz! I know it feels horrible but think about Max too. He must feel even worse.”

“Yeah I know. I just…”

“You should talk to them.”

“What?”

“You are the only one who can do it. Just tell them peacefully that their behaviour is disturbing you and Max. Don’t fight, don’t raise your voice, just let them know how you are getting affected. I know they are a shitty couple but I know they do care about…you and Max.”

Izzy looked at him. She knew there was hesitation in the last line. She knew why her brother said what he said. “Alec, you…”

Alec recognized Izzy’s sympathetic tone as well, he immediately said “Don’t.” Izzy didn’t push it.

“So, now that I’m here. I might as well get some time to spend with my bro.” Izzy quickly said changing the subject.

“What do you want to do?”

“Lets eat something. I am so hungry.”

“Okay. What do we order? Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian?”

“Tacos!”

“Alright.”

“And ice cream.”

“Cookies and crème?”

“Yes!”

So he ordered the food and went to the bathroom to change into his sweats. When he came back, Izzy was looking through his books. 

“Find something interesting?” he asked.

“In your boring books? No.”

He rolled his eyes.

“By the way, how was your week?” Izzy didn’t want to ask Alec anything directly, so she decided to beat around the bush a little.

“It was okay. Lectures and all.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t think college life was this boring.”

“So what did you think?”

“You know, parties, flirting, dates, road trips, maybe even have a roommate.” She looked disapprovingly around his room.

“Those movies sure sell a lot of that bullshit. Maybe not the roommate part.”

“Its not bullshit. You just don’t like all of that stuff.” Izzy frowned.

“I wouldn’t mind dating.” Alec mumbled.

“What was that?” Izzy snapped her head too quick and got whiplash. “Ow” she grimaced placing her hand on the right side of her neck.

Alec couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Hey!” she punched him on the arm playfully. “Now what did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie Alec.”

“It was nothing important.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

There was a knock on the door. It must have been their food. Alec got up to get it, thinking this would help to get away from this conversation. He opened the door, took the food from the delivery guy, said a quick ‘thank you’ and walked back to Izzy, closing the door. 

“Tacos and Ice cream for Miss Isabelle.”

Izzy snatched the package from his hands, surprising Alec. 

“Wow, I knew you were hungry but that was violent.”

Izzy was already pulling out boxes. Alec went back to sitting beside her on the bed. 

“Care to watch a movie?” he asked.

“No.” she had already bitten into a taco, “I want to talk.”

“There’s more to talk?”

“Yes!” but she continued eating. Alec smiled and tucked into his own tacos. 

Soon the tacos were gone and Izzy let out a little burp. 

“So dating huh?” Izzy asked grinning.

“You heard me?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why did you keep asking me?”

“I wanted to hear it again.” 

Alec frowned but said nothing.

“So?”

“What?”

“Dating?”

“It just came out okay.”

“You know, you only blurt out the truth.” She picked up the ice cream tub and opened the lid. 

“I’ll get a bowl.” Alec said getting up.

“Yeah but don’t think you will get away from this conversation.”

Alec groaned at that, but got back with a bowl anyways. Izzy scooped half of the ice cream into the bowl and started eating from the tub.

“You know, you never talked about dating before.” Izzy stated.

“Yeah so?”

“I wonder what changed.”

“Nothing changed.”

“Alec, are you hiding something from me?”

“No.” He lied. He wanted to tell Izzy about Magnus but he wasn’t so sure himself. What was really there to talk about him? What would he say? That he thought the hot guy of the class looks at him? That he felt liking looking at him too? That he was developing a second crush? No no no no. That was not right. Who has two crushes? What good story starts with a guy having two crushes. No, he did not have a crush on Magnus Bane. Nope, not at all. One crush was enough for him.

“Alec?”

“Yeah?” he snapped back from his thoughts.

Izzy sighed and smiled. “You know what, you are going to tell me whats going on sooner or later. So, I won’t push you. And I should go back home. I don’t want to receive a phone call from one of the robots.”

She got up, dusted off taco shell bits from her jeans and grabbed her phone from Alec’s bed. Alec got up too and she gave him big hug. “Good night big bro.” she murmured.

Alec walked her to the door and watched her walk down the hall. She looked at him and waved when she turned the corner. Alec got back to his room and cleaned up his bed. He flopped down and took out his phone, going through Instagram. When he got drowsy, he kept his phone away and snuggled under the covers to welcome the warm embrace of sleep.  



	3. Confusion and Clarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we don't have Malec moments yet, but be a little patient, we'll get there soon.

Alec took his phone in his hand and checked for notifications. He saw a few messages on the group chat with Jace and Aline. Then his eyes fell on an Insta notification and he froze. It was a follow request from Magnus Bane. Alec opened his profile way too quick and accidently hit accept. Shit. He looked at Magnus’ profile picture, still not believing that he sent him the request. Then he saw that Magnus’ profile was public. He could see all his posts. He scrolled down, looking at his posts. His breathe caught in his throat when he saw a shirtless picture of Magnus near a pool. He gaped at the picture for too long and when, he decided to close the app, he accidently liked the picture. NOOOOOOO.

Alec woke up to the sound of his alarm. He had forgotten to switch off the alarm for today. He switched it off and laid his head back on the pillow. That’s when he realised what he had just dreamt of, rather who he had dreamt of. He recalled his dream and sighed. Why, why did he dream of Magnus? He grabbed his phone again, opened up Instagram, hesitating for a minute, he searched for Magnus. There were not many Magnus Banes in the world as only one profile showed up. He opened the profile. Unlike his dream, Magnus’ profile was private. Alec got a little sad but he put his phone away. He decided not to think about it. So the rest of the day, he definitely did not think about Magnus. He did not recall the shirtless post. And he never for once checked Magnus’ profile again. The weekend was nothing special for Alec. He cleaned his room, studied for a while, talked to Izzy on the phone, drew a few sketches. Yes, Alec like sketching. He was pretty good at it, although he never showed it to anyone. Well, anyone except Isabelle, Jace and Aline. Did he think of sketching Magnus? No, absolutely not.

Monday morning came soon, and Alec walked to his college early in the morning. His college was nearby, like a mile away from his dorm. He liked to walk to college, taking in the cool morning air. He reached his class soon enough and joined Aline and Jace’s ongoing conversation. A few minutes later, Magnus walked in and Alec couldn’t stop himself from staring. Magnus was wearing a dark blue collared t-shirt with dark black jeans and black sneakers. He also wore a black jacket with silver studs on the shoulders. Two rings on his right hand, a bracelet on his left, a silver chain peaking through his open shirt collar. His black hair was lightly spiked with cobalt blue highlights, and his eyes rocked black eyeliner and a hint of silver eyeshadow. The t-shirt hugged his muscular body and Alec wanted to see more of his muscle flexing with movement. For such a well- built person, Magnus moved with such grace and elegance that Alec could pick out those little movements of his fingers, his neck, his arms. He had seen men wearing makeup and carrying it with confidence, but Magnus was something else. There was no doubt, he looked stunning. Alec had already held his breath while looking at him, but then Magnus stole a quick glance at him while walking to his seat, and Alec thought his heart stopped for a while. He had barely recollected himself when the professor walked in.

Andrew hadn’t come to class that day, but Alec’s mind was already preoccupied with what happened in the morning. He wondered how had he not noticed Magnus before. Was he blind? Or was it because he thought Magnus was totally and completely out of his league? But that was no reason for not looking at such beauty. Then he remembered Andrew. Maybe he was so much into Andrew that he didn’t want to look at anyone else. But then why was he looking now? Why couldn’t he stop himself from gawking at Magnus? Why did he want to check whether Magnus was looking at him or not? Maye he just liked the attention that Magnus was giving him. Yeah that was probably it. There was no way he felt something for Magnus. He was just really good looking and paid him attention, and Alec liked that, just that. Nothing more. 

So Alec kept believing that and went on with his life. He hungout with Jace and Aline from time to time, for movies, lunches and even walks around parks. He kept touch with Izzy, even talking with Max occasionally. It seemed like his parents were going back to being human from robots. He had assignments to do and research papers to write. Although that didn’t stop him from stealing glances at Magnus and Andrew. Andrew skipped classes most of the days and Alec did not like that, but when he showed up, Alec couldn’t help himself from being happy. Magnus on the other hand was very regular to class, and so Alec knew that he had atleast someone to look forward to seeing in class. He hadn’t told Izzy about Magnus yet. He still didn’t know what to say about him. He felt awkward about saying he stared at another guy, despite having a crush on someone else. Two months went by like this. Alec grew more and more sure that both Andrew and Magnus knew that he looked at them. It just made him feel a little bad. When they knew, why didn’t they talk to him or approach him. Magnus didn’t talk much and kept to himself and his limited group of three friends but Andrew, he talked to everybody. And he was pretty sure that Andrew knew for more than a year now, because Alec had not been subtle while glancing at him. At first it was accidental, but as time went by, Alec wanted Andrew to know that he was indeed looking at him and it was no coincidence that their eyes met so much. But Andrew never approached him and Alec knew what that meant, he just couldn’t accept it. He thought maybe Andrew was hesitant to talk to him, maybe he felt nervous to talk to Alec. Alec could be quite intimidating. Maybe that was the reason and not because he didn’t like him because who looks at someone so much without liking them. That had to be it.

It was one of the assignment submission days. So naturally Andrew had to come to class. Magnus didn’t have this class with Alec, neither did Jace. Alec and Aline talked to each other till the professor came. Alec’s eyes fell on Andrew’s for a moment, he was looking really good wearing a light pink t-shirt underneath a black jacket, paired with his usual dark blue jeans and black sneakers with grey stripes on it. Andrew’s eyes met his and he immediately looked away. He had the same feelings as he always had around Andrew. Happiness accompanied with nervousness, panic and a tinge of anxiety. It didn’t matter whether Andrew looked at him or not, the mere presence of Andrew, made Alec feel that way. He was usually pretty confident and didn’t want to be nervous and anxious but he couldn’t help it.

After the submissions were done, Alec waited for Aline while she talked with Julian. He went to the same drama class as Aline. That’s when he noticed Andrew talking to Meliorn. Alec had never seen him talk to Meliorn before, that too standing so close. He knew Meliorn as one of Sebastian’s friends. The guy was tall, with long hair reaching his neck and had green eyes. He wore a white t-shirt with a white jacket and dark green pants. He had piercings in his ears too. Alec admitted he was a little jealous of seeing Andrew interacting with him so up close and Meliorn didn’t seem to mind, he rather looked like he was enjoying the proximity. Suddenly Andrew looked at Alec, it was a quick glance and then draped his arm around Meliorn, without stopping their conversation. Alec was a little stunned. What just happened? Was Andrew taunting Alec? Did he want Alec to be jealous? Did he want Alec to know that he was not interested in him? Alec looked away but not long before he saw them talking in between smiles and laughs. Alec felt like something snapping inside of him. He was hurt. He couldn’t help but think that what Andrew did right now was deliberate. He was angry too. Why would he do such a thing? If he didn’t like Alec, he could have just avoided him. Why lead him on like this? Why make him think that there was even a possibility of him liking Alec? Why why why?

“Alec.” Aline was next to him.

“You done?” Alec asked keeping the hurt and anger out of his voice.

“Yeah, lets go. We have another submission in 10 mins.”

“Yeah okay.”

They left the class and walked down the hallways to get to the next class they had. Jace joined them for this one too. He started talking about the great Fortnite game he had last night with two girls, he gushed about how well they played and how one of them gave him really good tips. Alec nodded along, while thinking about what had happened back in the class. He was still angry, he wanted to punch something really bad. Soon enough they reached their class and settled down on their usual seats. A few minutes later Andrew walked in with Meliorn, Sebastian, Victor, Ann and Leya. Andrew still had his arm around Meliorn, his lips close to his ears, saying something in a low voice and Meliorn let out a shy laugh. At that very moment Andrew’s eyes caught Alec’s again. This time Alec was sure that it was deliberate. Alec couldn’t bear to see this. He wanted to storm out the class. He didn’t deserve this. He did nothing to deserve this. He looked down at his desk trying to get a hold on his nerves. That’s when Magnus walked in with his friends Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael.

Alec didn’t know why, but just seeing Magnus calmed him. He let out a deep breath and let his eyes wander on him. He was wearing a full- sleeved red and black checked shirt and dark grey jeans with high ankle black sneakers. He had three rings on his right hand and wore little to no makeup except a fine line of eyeliner. His hair was spiked but he didn’t have any highlights. Despite the subtle look, Alec thought he was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Alec bit back a smile tugging at his lips. And then it hit him. He had been in denial the whole time. He liked Magnus. Not just his attention, not just his looks, but him, entirely. He liked how Magnus made him feel. He felt calm, he felt good, he didn’t feel like he had to pretend when he was around, his nerves didn’t do a backflip when he walked in class, his hands didn’t go cold when he looked at him. Instead he felt warm, he felt like himself, he felt like he could be himself around him. Andrew was not good for him and not just because of what he did that day, but also because of how he made him feel. He was not himself when Andrew was in the room, he tried to pretend to be someone else, someone Andrew would like, someone Andrew would want to talk to, to be with. That was all Alec thought about. He submitted his assignments, attended the last lecture and went back to his dorm, all the while thinking about what he had realised. 

Alec may not have any experience with crushes and unrequited feelings but he knew how to protect himself. He was not letting some guy play with his feelings this way, specially when he couldn’t even be himself around him. He had to forget him, even if he had a crush on him for two years, even if it meant that he had to accept he had a crush on someone who actually was not good for him. He decided he would accept his wrong judgement.  



	4. Trying to be Brave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec finally decides to do something, something he never thought he could do! Will he go through with it though?

It had been two weeks since the big revelation. Alec was doing a lot better. He no longer felt jittery around Andrew, though he still felt like looking at him and it didn’t help that Andrew seemed to move around Alec a lot. But Alec was stronger than that. He knew he had to avoid him, for himself, for his own good. On top of that, there was someone helping out Alec. With his form-fitting clothes, his graceful movements, his smooth voice and calm demeanour, Magnus had no idea what effect he was having on Alec. Alec thought Andrew could go to hell. He could stare at Magnus all day. Magnus was different for him. Was he crushing on him? Maybe, but it was different. He didn’t feel afraid like he did for Andrew. He wanted to know him, he wanted to talk to him. He was not afraid that Magnus wouldn’t be the same as he thought him to be. He was not afraid that he would be exactly like how he thought him to be and then he would like him more. Though he was afraid of getting rejected, but somehow he felt like he wanted to take the chance. Alec couldn’t really put a finger on why he felt like this, why his feelings for Magnus were so different than those for Andrew. Maybe he still had a lot to figure out about feelings and emotions.

All this while Alec had been talking to Izzy regularly but he didn’t tell her anything about Magnus or Andrew. And as Izzy had promised that she wouldn’t ask him anything, she didn’t bring up the topic as well. Now that Alec was planning to talk to Magnus, to tell him he liked him, he wanted Izzy’s advice but he was too embarrassed to do so. He knew she would get all excited and that would make him more nervous than he actually was. He finally decided that he would only tell Izzy if it went somewhere. So he spent a week thinking about what he would say. He even wrote down what he wanted to say, making small drafts on his laptop. 

Draft 1  
Hey Magnus! I know we have never talked before but I like you. And its not just because of how good you look, I really admire you and I could list all the things I like about you but that would take up all day.   
‘Ugh no that’s weird.’ Alec thought.

Draft 2  
Magnus you seem like a wonderful person and I wanted to know you more than your name and how you look.   
‘Ew’

Draft 3  
Hey Magnus! I’m Alec by the way. We are in the same class. I like you. A lot. My day gets better every time I see you.  
‘No way’

Draft 4  
You have something about you, you know. I can’t really say what it is but I feel drawn to you. Do you mind going out for coffee sometime?  
‘Can I even pull that off?’

Draft 10  
Why on earth are you looking at me? I want to know. I deserve to know.  
‘Shit’

Draft 11  
Hey! I wanted to talk to you if you don’t mind. I don’t know if you have noticed but I kind of like you. I know we have never talked before, so we don’t even know each other, but I would like to know you. Of course, if you want to. No hard feelings if you don’t.  
‘Hmm this is probably better. I could say this I guess.’

Alec read the last lines over and over, trying to memorise them. He prepared to sleep, trying to imagine the conversation he would have with Magnus. Maybe he could wait outside class till he came. He could then, pull him away from his friends and talk to him. He couldn’t possibly talk to him in front of his friends. Or maybe he could wait after classes were over and then talk to him. No that would be tricky. He headed back with Jace and Aline, and he didn’t want to tell them to go because he wanted to confess his feelings for Magnus. So he had to do it before class. But then if Magnus refused, it would be awkward to sit in class for that long. Then he remembered that there was a class that Magnus and Alec didn’t have in common. He could wait outside that class till Magnus came, talk to him and leave feeling less awkward if he got rejected. Luckily that class was actually the last one. Alec didn’t have his last lecture the next day but Magnus did. He knew that because Jace was in the same class. Oh Shit Jace. He had to avoid from being seen by Jace but that wouldn’t be so difficult as Jace went to class early and Magnus generally showed up a little later. But what about Aline? He would have to give some excuse to Aline for not accompanying her to the crossroads.   
‘Tomorrow would be one hell of a day’

And it was. He had back to back classes. That didn’t stop him from playing his planned conversation with Magnus in his head. He kept glancing at his watch, not listening to half of the things being taught. Soon his classes were over and he prepared himself for what he was about to do.  
“Ready to go?” Aline asked.  
“Um actually I had to go to the library.”  
“Really Alec? You need more books?”  
“Yeah there was this topic I wanted to read more on.”  
“Of course you do. Its okay I can accompany you.”  
“What? Why?”  
“Because you are my friend and I don’t like walking back all the way alone.”  
“It will take time though.” Alec glanced at his watch. He had to get out of this situation.  
“That’s fine with me. Come on lets go.”  
Alec sighed. He started walking with Aline thinking of some other excuse.  
“Could you wait for a while? I need to go to the washroom.”  
“Oh okay. I’ll be at the library.”  
“Great! See you there.”

Finally, he got his chance. He almost ran to Magnus’ class. There was still time. He could still meet Magnus. He could do what he waited for so long. He had to do it. Fortunately, he was on the same floor as the class was, so reached pretty quick. He peeped inside and looked if Magnus was already there, but he wasn’t. Good, he was on time then. He popped his head back to the hall and turned towards the stairs. ‘Shit.’ Magnus was climbing up the stairs. He wore a dark green shirt with white jeans and white sneakers. A few chains hung on his neck, two rings on his right hand. He wore light pink lipstick and blue eyeliner. He ran his fingers through his spiked hair which had blue tips. It looked like a scene straight out of a movie, where the hot guy makes a dashing entrance, stopping everyone in their tracks. Well in this case, it was Alec.

Alec stood there for a moment, processing what he was seeing, trying to recollect what he had prepared to say and before he could stop himself he strode towards Magnus. He had just reached the top of the flight of stairs, when Alec stopped right in front of him. He looked at Alec, clearly thrown off-guard. As his eyes met Alec’s, Alec’s brain short-circuited. Never had he seen such beautiful eyes. Magnus’s eyes were somewhere in between gold and brown, it seemed like they were shifting colours. He was so lost, he didn’t even notice Magnus’ bewildered look. 

“Do you like me?” Alec blurted out.  
“What?” There was surprise in Magnus’ voice.  
“So you don’t. That’s okay. That’s fine. Totally fine.” And with that Alec stepped to the side and walked down the stairs.  
“Alexander.” Magnus called.  
Alec stopped immediately. He hated being called by his full name, mainly because his parents called him that. But the way Magnus said it with his smooth and deep voice, it sent goosebumps through his body. He turned back stopping at the last step.  
“I didn’t say I didn’t like you.” Magnus said softly.  
Alec just stared at him, waiting to hear something more. But Magnus just stood there looking back at him. He parted his lips a few times which made it seem like he wanted to say something but he didn’t. Alec couldn’t stand there any longer. He rushed down the next flight of stairs and out of Magnus’ sight.  
_  
Magnus stood there unable to move. He was still processing what had just happened. He was a spontaneous guy but he was totally not prepared for this. He never thought Alec would approach him like this. Alec, the blue eyed, dark haired, tall, confident and composed guy. He wanted to say it but he couldn’t. He didn’t know why. Alec left him a little speechless, a little shaken. He didn’t know how to say what he felt. He walked to his class and sat at his usual place, still thinking about the surprise he got a few minutes back, cursing himself internally for not saying what he had wanted to say for so long. 

‘I didn’t say I didn’t like you.’ Magnus closed his eyes remembering what he said. ‘What was that? Couldn’t I come up with something better? Couldn’t I have said the truth?’ He sighed.

‘Yes I do. I do like you, Alexander. I have liked you for a over a year now. You have no idea how much I like you.’


	5. It's Time to Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus have some thinking to do after what happened at the staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on, we are getting there. Just a little more patience.

Alec felt so stupid. He messed up bad. And he got rejected. Although he didn’t know if it was because of his stupid question or because Magnus never liked him. He for sure saw how surprised Magnus was. Maybe Magnus got overwhelmed, or maybe he was thinking way too much and Magnus was just disgusted at his question. How could he be so stupid? So much of practice, so much of preparation, everything gone to waste. He had immediately gone to the library, called Aline and told her that he decided he would take the book later. They walked to the crossroads, said their goodbyes and then Alec had rushed to his dorm. Now, he was pacing in his room, playing the conversation in his head and cursing himself.

He finally decided he needed help, he couldn’t deal with this alone. He had to talk to Izzy. He sent her a quick text, not wanting to disturb her if she was busy. Thankfully she replied within a minute.

Alec: Hey Iz! Are you busy right now?

Izzy: I thought I would be. I had to help Max with his homework but then his friend showed up and I don’t think he wants my help anymore.

Alec: Oh okay. I needed to talk to you.

Izzy: Yeah whats up?

Alec: I did something stupid.

Alec’s phone buzzed and he picked it up. 

“Hi.”

“What did you do?”

“Um. It’s a long story actually.” Alec hadn’t thought this through. Izzy had no idea about Magnus.

“Do you want me to come over?” 

“No!” That would be even weirder. Also it was quite late.

“Is this about Andrew?”

Oh God. He hadn’t told Izzy that he lost interest in Andrew, or rather that he kind of despised him now.

“Uh, no its actually about someone else.”

“OMG Alec! Did you sleep with someone?”

“What! NO!”

“Are you sure? You sound really weird. Was it a drunken mistake?”

“No Izzy. It was nothing like that.”

“So tell me then. You called me to talk to me and now you’re being all secretive.”

“Uh…I…I kind of like another guy.”

“Another guy? Who?”

“Someone from my class. His name is Magnus.”

“Okay and what stupid thing did you do?”

“I…I really like him, you know. And I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to tell him how I felt.”

“And?”

“So I decided that I would and I planned the whole thing, but then when the time came, I messed up. I messed up really bad. And I think even if he did like me before, he clearly doesn’t like me now.”

“Wha…Wait. You thought he liked you?”

“Uh…yeah kind of. I didn’t know exactly. I wanted to tell him regardless.”

“Okay, we’ll talk about this part later. Why do you think you messed up?”

“I straight up asked him ‘Do you like me?’”

“What!”

“He had the same reaction.”

“Alec are you crazy? Why would you say that?”

“I was not thinking straight.”

“When do you ever think straight? You are gay!”

“Ugh...Its just…He…I got a little dumbstruck seeing him and then our eyes met and everything I had planned to say flew out of my head.”

“Oh Alec.”

“You have to tell me what to do. I will see him in class again. Its going to be so weird.”

“Okay wait. You didn’t tell me any of this before.”

“I…I didn’t know what to say. I was figuring things out.”

“What things?”

“Told you its a long story.”

“I am listening.”

So he told her everything. How Magnus had glanced at him, how he started liking Magnus, that day when he realised he didn’t want to like Andrew anymore, how he had been avoiding him, how great Magnus looked, everything. 

“Wow. Cant believe Andrew is such a jerk.”

“Well he kind of is. I noticed many more things about him after that day. He is just like his friends.”

“I’m sorry Alec.”

“It doesn’t matter. Now I need your help with Magnus.”

“Well…based on your description he seems kind of amazing.”

“Yeah I know that. I made an absolute fool of myself in front of that amazing guy.”

“Wait let me think.”

For a few minutes no one spoke.

“Maybe you could talk to him.”

“What?”

“Yeah but this time tell him what you actually wanted to tell.”

“I can’t do that. I don’t think I can face him.”

“Okay then hide from him. Avoid him. Maybe don’t even show up to class for a few days.”

“Hmm that’s a good idea.”

“No Alec! I was joking.” Izzy paused for a moment. “Alec, you took a chance with Magnus. You never wanted to take that chance with Andrew. You said it yourself, you feel differently about Magnus. Don’t you think he deserves to know that? Don’t you think you deserve to tell him that? You want to, right?”

“Yeah but...”

“I know it will be awkward and nerve wracking but once you admit your feelings, it will be out of your way.”

“He said he didn’t not like me.”

“He may have been taken aback by your sudden question.”

“He didn’t say he liked me. Those two sentences, don’t mean the same thing.”

“Alec, its ultimately upto you. You know how you feel. You think you know how Magnus feels. You may be right, you may be wrong. But since you took this step once, I think you are brave enough to do it again. If you want you can even write to him.”

Alec sighed. He knew deep down Izzy was right. But his thoughts were a turmoil now. “I have to think about it.”

“Okay. Let me know if you need to talk again.”

“I will. Thanks Izzy. Good night.”

“Anytime bro. Good night.”  
_

Magnus fiddled with his phone the entire evening. He had thought multiple time about calling Alec. He had found his number on the class WhatsApp group. He had opened his contact and typed in a message but he backspaced it all and dropped the phone on the bed. This was not how he wanted to tell Alec about how he felt. Who on earth confesses feelings through text or on call! No, he had to talk to Alexander, face to face. He wondered if Alec had gotten hurt by his words, if he would even agree to talk to him. How would he face him? He had given the weirdest reply to his question. Magnus groaned and hit his head on the wall next to his bed. His phone buzzed. He wished it was Alec even though that was the next to impossible. It was Catarina.

“Hey.”

“Hi Cat.”

“Whoa! Why that tone?”

"What tone?” Magnus sat up, trying to sound like his usual self.

“I don’t know. You sound a bit off.”

“Am I a lightbulb?”

“Yeah a pretty dim one.”

“Why did you call?”

“Ragnor is having a party tonight. He is so busy inviting random people, he asked me to let you know.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t think I can come.”

There was silence on the other side.

“Cat?”

“I’m talking to Magnus Bane, right?”

“Haha, very funny.”

“Are you seriously not going to attend a party? That too a party hosted by Ragnor?”

“I just don’t feel like it.”

“Oh my God. Something is wrong, isn’t it?”

“What could possibly be wrong?”

“You tell me.”

“There’s nothing wrong Catarina.”

“Catarina? Oh now I’m definitely sure something is wrong. I’m coming over.”

“What? No!”

“Then you have to tell me now.”

“I…you cant do this.”

“I sure can. Spill now.”

“I did something stupid.”

“Did you drunk dial your ex?”

“NO! I have barely had a drink lately.”

“Then?”

Magnus sighed. He knew how persistent Catarina could be. So he told her everything. She already knew that he had a crush on Alec. So he just told her about what happened at the stairs. 

“Oh my God Magnus! Why did you say that?”

“I don’t know!”

“Well, the good news is Alec clearly likes you.”

“Really?”

“He walked up to you asking if you liked him. Why would he do that if he didn’t like you?”

“Um…just to know? He has caught me looking at him quite a number of times.”

“And why would he be bothered to know whether you liked him or not?”

“I don’t know.” Magnus murmured.

“You have to tell him how you feel.”

“I know. I just don't know how to approach him now. What if he hates me?”

“He doesn’t. He would be the happiest person to know the truth.”

“Maybe…”

“Magnus, this is not your first time liking someone. And earlier you thought you may get hurt, but now you know, the boy likes you back. What is stopping you?”

“You’re right. I will talk to him. He deserves to know.”

“Hell yeah he does.”

“Tell Ragnor I’ll take a raincheck on that party.”

“Will do. You think about what are you going to tell Alec and don’t mess it up this time.”

“Yes. And Cat, thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome. Be prepared tomorrow.”

“Have a great night. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He flopped down on his bed again. This time thinking about what he would tell Alec. He had thought of this scenario way too many times. He knew what he wanted to say.


	6. Victor Aldertree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus prepare themselves for confessing but then something happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos!! Hope you all like the rest of the chapters too! Also comment your thoughts below.

The next day, Alec went to college thinking about what he would do when he sees Magnus. He had thought a lot last night, but the idea of talking to Magnus again made him shudder. He decided he needed more time, which meant that he had to avoid Magnus the best he could. So, when Magnus walked in class that day, Alec didn’t look up. Instead he just looked down, looking at Magnus’s shoes. He was wearing ankle high grey sneakers with white soles. He fought the urge to glance at the unbelievably beautiful guy during the lectures and tried to pay to attention to the class. But Magnus as always sat at a place from where both of them could see each other in their peripheral view, and now Alec could sense that Magnus was looking at him occasionally. 

‘Oh God. He has definitely not forgotten about yesterday.’

‘What if he tells his friends?’

‘Why is he still looking at me?’

‘He must think I’m a complete weirdo.’

‘Can I run out and hide in the washroom?’

‘Maybe I should skip college tomorrow, or for the entire week.’

‘Ughhhhhhh’

“Alec.”

Alec looked up and realised that the class was over and the professor was standing by the door calling him.

“Uh, yes Mr. Garroway.”

“Can I have a word with you?”

“Sure.” He got up and walked towards Mr. Garroway, their Sustainabilty Management professor. 

Seeing Alec come over, he walked out of the class and Alec followed. Alec had often approached him with doubts and suggestions. Mr. Garroway appreciated Alec’s sincerity and enthusiasm. He had grown pretty fond of him.

“Alec, is everything alright?” Mr. Garroway enquired with concern in his voice.

“Yes sir.” Alec said it with as much conviction he could muster.

“You seem distracted.” 

“I…” Alec stuttered. He didn’t know what to say. Had he been that obvious? 

Mr. Garroway put his hand on his shoulder. “Alec, you have been one of the most attentive students I have ever had. Getting distracted is very unlike you and today was not even the first day.” He paused. “I hope you understand that I am asking you out of concern. You can talk to me if you want to.” 

“I am just having some family issues, sir. I’m sorry.” Alec lied, well not completely. He did have family issues but that was not the reason for his inattentiveness. 

“Don’t be sorry. I can understand.” He removed his hand from Alec’s shoulder. “And as I said, you can talk to me or even the college counsellor, if you want to.”

“I’ll think about it. Thank you.” Alec gave a small nod and a polite smile.

Mr. Garroway nodded and walked away. Alec sighed. He hoped that he had atleast been able to pull off the façade infront of his friends. He didn’t want to tell them about his family issues or his stupid issues. He walked back in class. The next lecture was supposed to be in the same class, so everyone except those who didn’t have the class were still inside. That included Jace, Aline, Magnus and his friends. Also Andrew and his friend Victor were also there, surprisingly.

“Hey Alec. What did Luke tell you?” Victor asked. He was seated at the back of the third row along with Andrew. Alec grimaced a little as he blatantly called their professor by the first name. 

“Nothing important.” He replied curtly and settled down at his place. He could see the little signs of annoyance on Jace and Aline as well. 

“Liar.” Victor spat. 

“Excuse me?” 

Victor was no longer looking at him. He was looking at Andrew.

“Oh so innocent. Fucking teacher’s pet!” 

Alec was actually shocked. Sure, he had interacted with Mr. Garroway a lot last semester but he never thought he would be called a teacher’s pet.

“Lapping at his heels all the time. You sure have his attention. And quite honestly I don’t care what you do, but if you get inside information, you better share it with us.” Victor was almost growling, his eyes threatening Alec.

'Inside information? What the hell is that supposed to mean?' 

Alec decided to keep his mouth shut. He knew where this was going, Victor was trying to start a fight and he didn’t want to get involved in it. He chose to ignore Victor. Jace and Aline on the other hand were fuming, glaring at Victor. Alec placed a hand on both of their shoulders and quietly said “Don’t”. 

He looked towards Victor again and it looked like Andrew was saying something to him. But Victor yelled, “No, you don’t understand! That fucking asshole probably gets the question paper before hand and shares it with his friends. Haven't you seen how great their scores are? Tests, assignments, they score high in everything!” Victor glared at Alec. “And then you ask them for their notes, and the selfish prick says no! I’m telling you Alec Lightwood, if I fail in the mid terms, if any of us fail the mid-terms, it will all be because of you!” Victor had his fists clenched.

Alec didn’t say anything. Jace was the one to open his mouth, “Stop acting like a child, Victor!” Alec didn’t like getting into fights. He wasn’t going to get lured into one by some dim-witted moron. He let Victor yell profanities at him. He wondered why the next professor was not here yet.

“Why the fuck are you so silent Lightwood? You cant stop babbling infront of the professors, now you cant get a word out of your mouth? Now you cant form eloquent sentences, huh?”

Alec was looking away at his phone, but he could hear Andrew’s voice, soft but firm, “Victor calm down.” 

“If we fail and you pass with flying colours, you will regret it. You’ll have no one standing beside you and I will have everyone in the class. Then you would wish that you had helped us when we had asked, you would wish you hadn’t been a selfish asshole. And then getting off with Luke would also not help you.”

Alec turned his head. He clenched his jaw. Never, never had he thought he would be accused of such a thing. He wanted to say something, he wanted to punch the guy but he told himself ‘no fights’. 

“Victor that’s enough.” The words had been said with gritted teeth. The voice low, commanding and angry. Alec’s eyes flickered towards the voice. He saw Magnus was up from his place and standing a few feet away from Victor, facing him, glaring at him. "Don't forget that this is a classroom."

“Why are you getting so riled up Bane?” Victor cocked his head to his right. 

"You have no idea who you are talking about.” Magnus’s fists were clenched, it looked like he was trying to be calm.

“And you do?” Victor sneered.

“Yes. Alec is infact the most selfless person in the class. Just that he’s not stupid enough to help out ungrateful fucks like you. What do you think, you can just skip classes and have fun, and then demand help from someone, expecting them to oblige?”

Victor was about to say something but Magnus cut him off, “If you fucking fail,” he moved a little closer to Victor, “it’s going to be only and only your fault. Don’t you dare blame Alec for it.” Magnus’s fists were still clenched and his body was still tense. Victor glared at Magnus.

“You seem to care a lot.” A little smile played on his lips. “First Luke, then you. Alec must be a great cock sucker.”

Alec saw Magnus’ jaw clench as he grabbed Victor by the collar, slamming him against the nearest desk. Victor groaned and tried to squirm from Magnus’ grip but couldn’t. Alec was stunned. He saw Andrew up on his feet now, moving towards Magnus and Victor. Catarina was also up, and had put her arm on Magnus, trying to pull him away but Magnus had both his hands on Victors collar, almost choking him, Victor clutching at Magnus’ wrists, trying to pry out of them. Everyone else in the class were also too stunned to move. But Alec realised he had to, he had to stop Magnus from doing something rash. He jumped up and rushed towards them. 

“Magnus.” He said not knowing what else should he say.

Victors eyes were wide with fear. Magnus was still glaring.

“Dare say another word and I’ll snap your neck.” Magnus said.

“Is this how Alec likes it?” Victor wheezed. The boy had some guts.

Magnus raised a fist, the hand with the rings on it, about to punch him, but Alec acted fast.  
_

Magnus had a lot of self control specially on his anger. He never resorted to violence. He for a fact knew, how bad the consequences of being violent are. So he stayed calm while Victor had started yelling and cursing at Alec. He had looked at Alec flinching at the words being thrown at him, but not retorting back. He wanted Alec to say something, to defend himself but he remained silent and Magnus stayed silent too.   
But then Victor had gone too far and Magnus’ blood was boiling, his nails digging into his fists. Catarina had sensed that and had put her hand over Magnus’s arm trying to calm him, but he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He couldn’t let Victor humiliate his crush, or infact anyone he cared about. So, he stepped in, thinking he would talk some sense into Victor, he would make him back off, but the boy had some nerve. Magnus could feel the last bit of his self control snap when Victor said those words, his fist raised involuntarily and he was about to punch him, when he felt a hand on his arm holding him back.

“Magnus stop.” Alec’s voice was demanding but also pleading.

He felt his body ease a little, at the voice, at the touch, but he didn’t let go of Victor. He was breathing hard trying to control himself.

“Magnus, let him go.” This time he said it more softly, as if he wanted only Magnus to hear him.

Gathering himself, Magnus let go of Victor’s collar, stepping back from him. He felt Alec gently push him further back as Victor got up. Alec was now standing between them, his body mostly facing Victor. Andrew was standing beside Victor, his hand on Victor’s arm.

“Wrapped around his fingers aren’t you makeup boy?” Victor clearly had learnt no lesson. He looked pleased at the innuendo he just made.

Magnus stepped a little forward but Alec stopped him. 

“You have a problem with me. Don’t drag others into this.” Alec’s voice was firm.

“Others? Is that what you call them?” He gestured at Magnus.

Magnus couldn’t take it anymore. Victor was not only rude but also unashamed, he wouldn’t stop at anything. He knew if he stood there any longer, he would lose his control again. He had to leave. So without thinking any more, he grabbed his things and stormed out of the class. 

_

Alec turned his head to watch Magnus leave. Did he get offended? Did he get offended at him or Victor? He turned his gaze back on Victor. He looked really pleased despite being slammed against a desk a few minutes ago. Alec knew he wouldn’t stop, he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted and he wanted to humiliate him, to watch him crumble and shake infront of him, to fear him. Alec would not let him have that.

“You know what, I am selfish. I am a selfish asshole. But you know what you are? An idiot. You just started a fight with me, the teacher’s pet as you say, the one with all the class notes, the one who apparently has inside information. I may have even considered helping you and your friends out before, but now…” 

Victors smirk was gone. He didn’t expect such a reply.

“Now, if you or any of you friends fail, it will be on you and your idiocy because no matter how much you threaten me, now I want to watch you fail. Oh look, I am a fucking asshole. You were so right.” Alec smiled crookedly. Victors face had fallen.

“You fuc…” Victor was starting.

Alec put a hand up. “Don’t. Because this time I wont be stopping anybody from ruining your face.” Alec turned his head towards Jace and Aline, who were now standing pretty close, their expressions carved in stone. Victor looked too. Victor also seemed to notice Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael behind Alec. Alec didn’t need to look at them. Victor’s expression told him that they were on his side. Victor gulped silently, not knowing where to look. 

“You know Victor, I never liked you or your friends…” Alec glanced at Andrew, who was already looking at him remorsefully. “…but I never thought you were so terrible.” He said the last words bitterly, glancing at Andrew at the last word.

That was it. Alec got his things and hurried out of the class.


	7. Why? Because I Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the most wanted moment. Let me know if you liked the chapter!

‘Magnus.’ Alec thought. He was now running through the halls. He had to find Magnus. Magnus had defended him in front of an entire class. He had never seen Magnus even raise his voice at anyone before, and that day, Magnus had almost punched a guy. All for defending Alec. Victor had not only insulted Alec, he had insulted Magnus too. What if Magnus was angry at him? Oh God. Now Magnus not only thought he was weird but also was angry at him. He probably hates him. 

‘Can nothing in my life go right?’

‘Should I call him?’ 

‘No that’s a bad idea.’

He didn’t find Magnus anywhere on the first floor, so he ran down the stairs. He was out of the building and looked around trying to spot Magnus. He ran a bit to the left, then towards the main gate of the college. Finally, something caught his eye. Magnus’ blue scarf. He did notice it when Magnus was facing Victor. He had noticed Magnus’ entire outfit at that time, the blue scarf being the most striking to the eye. It was a beautiful cobalt blue, the material most likely a blend of silk and wool, was shiny but elegant. Even when Magnus was angry, Alec couldn’t deny that he looked great in it. Now it was lying a few metres away from him. He went to pick it up. Magnus must have run and the scarf had dropped from his neck. Alec touched the smooth fabric, almost caressing it. 

“Alexander.” A smooth voice called.

Alec looked up knowing whose voice it was. He felt the same goosebumps that he had felt when Magnus had called him by his full name for the first time. Magnus was standing a few feet away from him, his chest heaving slightly. He must have run back when he had noticed that his scarf was missing. He looked a little sad, a little shaken.

“I think this is yours.” Alec said walking closer to him holding out the scarf.

“Yes. Thank you.” Magnus took it and looked down. He held the scarf in his hands.

“Thank you, Magnus.”

Magnus looked up at Alec, his eyes a little confused. Alec noticed that.

“For standing up for me.” 

Magnus’s eyes lit up and the corners of his lips were twitching into a smile.

“But you didn’t have to.”

The smile dropped. Alec realised what that sounded like.

“Please don’t take this in a wrong way. I’m really grateful for what you did, but I can stand up for myself.” He said as politely as he could.

Magnus looked a little relieved. “But you didn’t. I waited for you to do something, say something.” He paused. “I know I…reacted in a wrong way. I just…couldn’t bear hearing him say all those horrible things.” His expression was serious, his jaw clenching a little.

Alec was confused. “Why?” He blurted out. He was tempted to know. The answer danced at the back of his head, but he brushed it away. 

Magnus let out a small laugh and came a little closer. “You would have known if I hadn’t been so stupid.” He mumbled.

“What?” All Alec had heard was ‘you’ and ‘stupid’. Did Magnus call him stupid? Oh no. Was Magnus going to talk about yesterday’s incident? He wanted to run away, hide his face. He could feel a blush creeping up his cheeks.

Magnus sighed, looking at him. Oh those eyes. The beautiful brown and gold eyes. The eyes that had made Alec blurt out the most idiotic thing. The eyes which had expressed shock the day before and anger just a while ago, now those eyes were looking at him tenderly. 

“I thought I was pretty obvious but let me spell it out for you. I like you.” Magnus said softly but sincerely.

Alec was definitely blushing right now. Had he heard that right? Did Magnus say he liked him? Like for real? Or was he dreaming? His mind was rushing with thoughts as he stood there like a deer caught in headlights, his eyes wide and face flushed, staring at Magnus. 

“Are you…” But Magnus was cut off by Alec.

“C-Can you…say that again?” Alec stuttered out, his voice was shrill.

Magnus smiled. “I like you, Alexander.” 

And Alec’s mind had fireworks. He couldn’t tell if he shuddered at the confession or at the way Magnus said his name. Magnus liked him. Magnus actually liked him. The Magnus Bane liked him. He was too involved in his thoughts to say it back. 

Magnus looked like he understood the disbelief and happiness in his eyes, so he came even closer and continued. “I have liked you for over a year now. I have liked you since the very moment I laid my eyes on you. You may think how can I when I don’t know you, but I feel like I do, more and more everyday.” He paused. “I’m sorry about what I said yesterday. I was too shocked to tell you how I really feel. But I want to answer that question now. Yes, I do like you Alexander, more than you could possibly imagine.”

What? Magnus liked him for more than a year? And he didn’t sense it? Was he blind? He had to be. Only someone who couldn’t see, couldn’t tell if Magnus Bane was looking at him, that Magnus Bane liked him. Oh my God. Alec felt stupid. Alec felt happy. Alec felt surprised. Alec felt so many emotions at once, he felt like he was going to collapse. His breathe had gotten quicker, his face was warm, his whole body was warm, he felt like he was sweating buckets, his legs were a little wobbly. He was standing there staring at Magnus, who looked like he was waiting for a reply and as time went by, his smile was fading. No, Alec couldn’t let that happen. The man had a beautiful smile, he couldn’t let that go away, he could never let that go away. But he was so overwhelmed with emotions, he was unable to form words. He was unable to say it back. He wanted to, he wanted to tell him so badly, he wanted to tell him that he liked him, he liked him a lot, that he had been an idiot the day before, that he wanted to know him, to talk to him. He wanted to say it all, but it was like the words were caught in his throat and Magnus was moving away confused and disappointed, and he couldn’t let that happen. He had to stop him. So he moved forward, grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him into a kiss. 

_

Magnus had said it, bared his heart to Alec. Somehow he felt that Alec reciprocated his feelings. He thought he was just surprised that he made such a confession. He could see the shock in Alec’s eyes, the flush in his cheeks, his fingers shaking a little, him breathing harder. So he waited, waited for Alec to calm down, to gather himself. He waited for Alec to say something. It seemed like hours passing by as Alec continued just staring at him, no words escaping his lips.

That’s when Magnus felt dread and doubt creeping up. Had he got it all wrong? Did Alec not like him? Had Alec asked him that question just to know? Did he just bare his heart to someone after so long, for nothing? Alec’s silence, heightened Magnus’s fears and doubts. He started moving back, trying to not look hurt, trying to understand why Alec hadn’t said anything, trying to compose himself and play it cool. But then Alec moved towards him. He could see a tinge of fear in Alec’s eyes. Alec’s eyes, Alec’s beautiful blue eyes, he could stare at those eyes all day. Watching Alec move forward, Magnus was not able to predict what he was about to do, and the next moment Alec’s lips were on his. 

He was stunned, even more stunned than the day before, when Alec had blatantly asked him if he liked him. He was so shocked that it took him a few seconds to realize that Alec was grabbing him by the front of his jacket, that his own arms were on Alec’s, that Alec’s lips were so soft, that Alec was indeed kissing him but he didn’t kiss back. So he did, he responded to the kiss. Alec kissed fast, unpracticed and messy, but with determination, with emotion, with so much feeling that Magnus had never been kissed with before. It seemed like Alec was putting his all into that kiss, and he wanted to do the same. He slid one hand behind Alec’s neck, and the other on his cheek. Alec shuddered a little, maybe because of his touch or because of the cool touch of the metal rings that adorned his fingers. Alec loosened his grip on his jacket and wrapped them around his waist, pulling him even closer as Magnus deepened the kiss. He slid his tongue on Alec’s lower lip and into his mouth. Alec gasped a little, but didn’t hesitate to slide his tongue in Magnus’s. Magnus never wanted the kiss to end, he didn’t want to part with Alec’s lips, but they were getting breathless, so he reluctantly pulled back, Alec chasing his lips when they parted with his. He looked at Alec, his blue eyes dark with desire. Both of them were breathing hard, looking at each other.

“I like you too Magnus.” Alec said once his breathing got normal. His voice almost a whisper, as if he wanted only Magnus to hear it.

Finally. Magnus had felt it in the kiss, but it was so good to hear. He had yearned to hear it for so long now. Alec had often said it in his dreams, but now he had heard it, actually heard it, Alec had actually said it, to him. 

“Alexander.” He whispered, cupping his cheek, breaking into a smile. He wanted to kiss him again but decided against it. He felt Alec shudder a little. Was it his touch again? Or the rings? Was he getting uncomfortable? He started pulling his hand back, but Alec caught it and looked at him for a moment, then he let go of his hand and moved forward to hug him, hands sliding around his waist. He wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck and pulled him closer. He could feel Alec’s heartbeat, incredibly fast, just like his. Alec was only a little shorter than him, so he could feel his breathe on his neck, which made his skin tingle. He could smell Alec’s hair, which smelled like some tea tree shampoo. He could feel Alec’s warmth radiating into him.

“Magnus, I’m sorry.”

Huh? Why was Alec apologizing? He pulled away and held Alec by his shoulders, looking into his eyes. Alec was still blushing.

“Why?”

“Uh…for yesterday. I didn’t mean to startle you. I…I panicked and…it was stupid. All I wanted to do was tell you that…I liked you and that I wanted to know you better. But then I saw you walking up the stairs and you were looking so good, I kind of freaked out and then you looked into my eyes and I…I totally lost my mind.”

Magnus let out a laugh. Alec was so adorable. He felt he had a crush on the right guy. 

“It’s okay Alexander. Sometimes even I get lost when I see you.”

Alec’s blush deepened. “I…”

Magnus placed a finger on his lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I understand.” 

Alec smiled. Magnus pulled his finger away. “I think you should go now. It looks like people are waiting for you.” He gestured with his eyes, looking behind Alec. Alec’s friends Jace and Aline were standing ten odd metres away and to Magnus they looked quite shocked. Alec had turned and seen his friends. 

“Uh yes I should.” He said immediately turning back. He bit his lip and looked at Magnus, with a little sadness in his eyes. It seemed like he didn’t want to go. Magnus didn’t want him to go, but he knew that even he should get going. His friends must be looking for him or rather even they were watching him from somewhere near. Alec turned to go and then turned back to Magnus.

“You know…we could text. If you want to.” His blue eyes were gleaming with hope.

Magnus couldn’t turn that down. Hell, Magnus could never turn him down. He had given into the kiss, he had given into the hug, he sure would give in to this small request. Of course, he wanted all of that too, but Alec making the first move, asking him, wanting him, that in itself made Magnus happy.

“I thought you would never ask.” He replied flirtatiously. 

“Um then we should probably exchange…” But Alec was cut off by Magnus.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll text you.”

Alec raised an eyebrow.

“We’re on the same class group for more than a year Alexander. I have your number memorized by now.” Magnus blurted out. Shit. Now Alec would think him to be a creep. It was his turn to blush now.

“I didn’t…” Magnus started.

“It’s okay. You’re not the only one.” He looked at Alec, a shy smile on his lips, his cheeks still pink.

Oh. Okay. So Alec was trying to play it cool at first. Magnus was impressed, well even more impressed. Alec seemed to be full of surprises.

“Okay, I should really go. We’ll talk soon, I guess.”

“We definitely will.” Magnus smiled widely.  



	8. About Texts and Blushes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec begin texting.

“What the hell was that?” Jace asked immediately as Alec reached them. Both him and Aline were clearly shocked. They had no idea that Alec was crushing on Magnus.

“Um, yeah. Its…uh….” Alec mumbled. He had never thought of this happening. He wasn’t prepared to give an explanation to his friends. But now he had to.

Jace and Aline looked at him, expecting to hear more. “Go on. We are listening.”

“I have liked Magnus for sometime now and I kind of found out that he likes me too.” Alec kept it short. He didn’t want to get into the details of them glancing at each other, him being stupid infront of Magnus, how he couldn’t get his words out and all such things. That was enough for his friends to know.

“Whoa. Okay. And you found that out now?” Aline asked.

“Yeah.”

“And then he kissed you?” Jace asked.

“Uh, no. I did.” Alec said shyly.

“Wow. That’s…great. Wow.” Jace said.

Aline was grinning. “What can I say, Alec is pretty damn confident.”

“We should go now. It’s getting late.” Alec said trying to avoid more questions.

“Wait, wait, wait. What happened after you kissed? Did you plan a date? Exchange numbers maybe?” Aline was intrigued.

“Uh yeah. We exchanged numbers.” Alec lied. He wouldn’t say both of them already knew each others numbers. Even telling Magnus was embarrassing for him.

“Ooooh. Smooth.” Jace grinned.

“Shall we?” Alec gestured towards the gate of the college.

Jace and Aline nodded grinning.

Alec thanked the universe that his friends were supportive and not prying. They knew Alec is not much of a sharer. They didn’t ask any further questions the rest of the way, instead they talked about how speechless Victor was after he had left the class. He also came to know that the last lecture was cancelled, the professor had forgotten to notify them about it. Alec didn’t know whether to be thankful for that or not. On one hand if they knew about it, they would have left the class right after Mr. Garroway’s lecture and the fight wouldn’t have happened. But on the other hand, if the fight hadn’t happened, he probably wouldn’t have been able to talk to Magnus. He wouldn’t have known that Magnus liked him back, that he liked him for a year. He wouldn’t have kissed Magnus. Oh the kiss. Alec’s first kiss. He was afraid he wasnt doing it right, but then Magnus kissed him back and all his doubts had faded away. He could still feel the ghost of Magnus’s lips on his. Magnus’s soft lips which tasted like strawberries, Magnus’s mouth which tasted like coffee. He liked how Magnus tasted. He had wanted to kiss him again, but he was still a little dazed by all the emotions. He would wait, for the next time.  
He reached his dorm and his phone buzzed. A smile crept up on his face. He knew that number. 

_

Magnus had found Catarina and Raphael standing close to their college building. Ragnor had left. Apparently he had said, ‘I don’t have to watch this.’ Catarina and Raphael on the other hand were grinning, their expressions kind of annoying, waiting for Magnus to spill, they had obviously seen them kiss.

“Does this call for a party or what?” Raphael teased.

“Raph!” Catarina scolded. “What happened there? How did you…Did you kiss him?”

“No. Surprisingly he did.”

“Whoa there. Alec Uptight Lightwood kissed you!” Raphael said.

“He’s not that uptight.” Magnus mumbled.

“Oh!” Both of them smirked.

“But what happened exactly? And don't try to act all cool with us, we can tell that your mind is doing cartwheels right now.” Damn. Raphael asked so many questions. His friends were a bit nosy. Though he didn’t mind sharing. But he wasn’t sure if Alec wanted others to know about them yet. Yet, he trusted his friends, he knew nothing goes out of his little circle.

“Well you are right about the cartwheels. I told him that I liked him and he stood like a statue for I don’t know how long. I started doubting if I did the right thing, when he kissed me.” Magnus paused recalling the kiss, Alec’s lips.

“He didn't say anything?” Catarina asked.

“He did. After the kiss. He told me he liked me too.”

Raphael and Catarina smiled. “So, what next?” Catarina asked.

“Uh, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Your crush kissed you and you don’t know what you are going to do next?” Raphael said rolling his eyes.

“We’ll talk I guess. We’ll text.”

“Finally. I hope you’ll stop pining now.” It was Raphael. He started walking towards the gate and so did the other two.

“I don’t pine.” Magnus said defensively.

“Yeah right.” The other two snorted.

Okay maybe he did sometimes, for Alec. He was trying to get Alec’s attention for a year now, but Alec was so oblivious. He did complain to his friends, often boring them to hell. He didn’t feel bad at all, they were his friends, they were supposed to listen to his pinning. He knew he would listen to any of them pinning, he wouldn’t like to, but he still would, just like his friends did, every time.  
He drove back home, his big beautiful lonely apartment. He felt a little bad coming back to the dark, lifeless apartment everyday, but today he didn’t. He needed a little alone time to think about what happened, to recall and rejoice at his memories. He could close his eyes and hear Alec telling him ‘I like you too, Magnus’. He could see Alec’s blush, his pretty blue eyes, his messy black hair. He unwrapped his scarf from his neck. Alec had touched it, held it in his hands. Magnus sighed. He didn’t know that he could be even more smitten by Alexander, than he already was.  
He decided to text him. There was no point waiting, wasting time. He took out his phone and thought for a moment, fingers hovering over the screen. Finally, he knew what to write. He typed it in and hit send. Thereafter running to take a shower, smiling to himself.

His phone was on the bed, the screen still on and with Alexander’s chat open.

Magnus: I wore that scarf to match your eyes, you know.

_

Alec was standing by the closed door of his room, looking at his phone, looking at the text that Magnus had sent him and blushing. What? Magnus wanted to match with his eyes? He stood there not knowing what to think of it, what to write back. Alec felt like if he could have, he would have melted then and there. He had kind of expected Magnus to send a 'Hi' maybe but this, this was so sweet, heart warming and at the same time flirtatious. He was still having a hard time believing that Magnus actually liked him, so the text felt more like a dream.

He thought about what he could reply, no words could express his feelings right now. Then his phone buzzed. Izzy was calling. He was so happy, he quickly picked it up.

“Hey.” He greeted enthusiastically, opening his shoes.

“Hello there.”

“How was your day?” He walked over to his bed, dropping his bag on his chair.

“Good. But you know that’s not why I’m calling.”

Shit. She was going to ask about Magnus. 

“What? I cant know about my sister’s day?” He tried to deflect.

“You can. I told you it was good. Now its my turn.” 

“My day was good too.” 

“Uh huh. Did you talk to…Magnus?”

“Umm…” He had to tell her. He didn’t mind, both of them shared almost everything with each other. He just never had to talk about his love life with her. He felt a little shy.

“You chickened out, didn’t you?” Izzy scolded.

“No I didn’t!” 

Izzy gasped. “So you told him?”

“Yeah.”

“And?” He could hear the anticipation in her voice, like she was holding back her breath.

“Actually, it was him who said it first.” 

“What?” Izzy shouted.

“Yeah.”

“What 'yeah'? Tell me what happened exactly.” Izzy demanded.

So Alec told her, a short version of all of it.

“You kissed!” Izzy squealed.

“Would you keep it down?” Alec was afraid his parents would hear her.

“I’m trying to but this is huge. Oh my God Alec, I cant believe this!”

“Me too.” He mumbled.

“I’m so happy for you! You finally have a boyfriend.”

“Magnus is not my boyfriend…yet.”

“Oh come on! Its just a matter of time. He sounds like a keeper. I mean he likes you even after that stunt you pulled yesterday.”

“Izzy don’t…” He whined. He wanted that memory gone.

“Okay okay. Oh! Send me a photo of him.” Izzy said sounding excited.

“What? Why?”

“I want to know who this Magnus is, how he looks, if he is fit for my brother.”

“That would be creepy. Also I don’t have any pictures of him.”

“Oh God! Fine I will find him on Instagram or Facebook.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“Okay, just don’t send him any follow requests and don’t be creepy.”

“Relax bro, I just want to see him.”

“Hmm. How are things at home?” He enquired. 

“It’s better. They are talking again.”

“Do they…Have they talked about me?” He knew the answer, but he still wanted to ask.

“No.” Izzy sighed.

“Okay.” His voice was soft.

“Hey, I’ll talk to them.” She tried to reassure him.

“No Izzy, you had promised me.”

“But…”

“No!” Alec said with conviction. 

“Fine.” 

There was silence for a moment.

“So when are you planning on texting Magnus?” She said, changing the subject.

Shit. He hadn’t replied to Magnus yet. How long had it been? He hoped Magnus didn’t think that he was ignoring him.

“Uh, actually he did text me, but then you called me and I couldn’t reply.”

“Oh! He really likes you, doesn’t he?”

“Um…” Alec bit his lip. 

“Don’t keep him waiting too long now. As I said, he seems like a keeper.”

“Yeah I’ll text him back.”

“You do that. I’ll let you go then. Bye.”

“Bye.”

The call ended and the same screen showed from earlier. Magnus’s chat. It had been almost half an hour since Magnus had sent him the text. Alec sighed. What should he say? What would he have said if Magnus had told this to him face to face? He probably would have been a stuttering mess. He closed his eyes, trying to think of an appropriate reply. Magnus had been sweet and honest with him, maybe he should do the same too.

Alec: Wow, I don’t know what to say. Regardless, it looked really good on you.

That’s the best he could do. Honestly, that’s how he felt. He put his phone aside and went to change his clothes. When he came back, he saw that Magnus had replied.

Magnus: Yeah. So did your eyes, Alexander.

Alec blushed again. He read his name, recalling how Magnus said it, getting goosebumps again. What was this boy doing to him? 

Alec: You have to stop making me speechless. Otherwise, it will just be a one-sided conversation.

His phone pinged almost immediately.

Magnus: Oh no I cant have that. Maybe I’ll make you speechless in person. I love seeing you blush.

Alec bit his lip. Oh this boy.

Alec: ...

Magnus: Are you blushing now?

Alec: You will never know that.

Magnus: So you are!

Alec thought for a moment. Magnus was clearly teasing him. Well, two can play that game.

Alec: Yes I am. But you don’t get to see it.

Magnus: Sassy! I like it.

Alec: Tell me something you don’t like.

Magnus: About you?

Alec: Yes.

Magnus: Hmm…  
Magnus: Till now I don’t think there is anything I don’t like about you.  
Magnus: But I’m sure I’ll find out soon.

Magnus was honest. Alec liked that. He didn’t want him to be pretentious and say only nice things to him. He wanted honesty, he wanted to hear the truth.

Alec: I appreciate honesty.

Magnus: As do I.  
Magnus: What about me? Anything you don’t like?

He thought about it. Was there anything? 

Alec: Nothing yet. 

Magnus: What about me standing up for you today?

Alec: I never said I didn’t like it. I just want to stand up for myself.  
Alec: It’s always good to know that someone has your back.

Magnus: I’ll always try to have your back. 

Again honesty, no promises, no pretention. Alec hated it when people just casually made promises, saying things like 'best friends forever' or 'I'll always be there for you'. He had been hurt by such people before.

Magnus: So, what did your friends say?

Alec: Well, they didn’t know about my crush on you. So they were shocked but they were pretty supportive, they always have been.

Magnus: That’s good.  
Magnus: My friends knew. I swear, they couldn’t stop grinning at me.

Alec: Did they see us too?

Magnus: You mean, see us kiss?

Alec: Yeah.

Magnus: Yes. Hence the grinning.

Alec: Can I tell you something?

Magnus: Anything.

Alec: I have never done this before.

Magnus: Text?

Alec: What? No.

Magnus: Kiss?

Alec: Yeah. Not just that. Any of this.  
Alec: Admitting feelings, talking to my crush.

Magnus: For real?  
Magnus: You seem pretty good at it.

Alec: You don’t have to say that to not make me feel bad.

Magnus: I’m being honest. I wouldn’t have guessed if you hadn’t told me.

Alec: I think you are biased.

Magnus: Is it biased to think that you have the most beautiful eyes in the world?

Alec: Yes.

Magnus: Well, I don’t mind being biased then.

Alec: So, you don’t mind it? You being my first?

Magnus: Mind it? I am elated!  
Magnus: I’m a little curious though, how can a guy as amazing as you be single for so long?

Alec: Um…there’s a lot to that.

Magnus: It’s okay. Tell me only when you are comfortable.  
Magnus: Just know, that I’ll be happy forever, knowing that Alexander Lightwood chose me to be his first.

Alec: You’re making me blush again.

Magnus: You signed up for it.

They talked for hours. Time seemed to fly by with the texts. Alec was smiling the entire time. It didn’t feel like that was the first time they were texting. He was comfortable, for some reason he trusted Magnus and he felt like Magnus did too, he was happy, the happiest he had been in a long time.  



	9. Will you go out with me?

Magnus woke up at the sound of his alarm blaring. He groaned and got up. Morning classes suck the fun out of college. But then he remembered something. He would see Alec again. Last night they talked almost till midnight. A smile appeared on his face. Now that they were talking, college would be even more fun.   
He sauntered into his walk-in wardrobe and took his time deciding what to wear. In the next fifty minutes he had showered, put on makeup and had dressed to impress. He gave himself a one over in the full length mirror. He had put on a white shirt which was untucked with faded blue jeans, white sneakers with silver laces and a dark purple jacket which went down to his mid-thigh and the collar was up. He had worn two rings on his right hand and one on the other, a metal ear cuff on his right ear and a singular chain around his neck with an opal blue stone pendant. His eyes were lined with black eyeliner and light pink eyeshadow, a dash of highlighter on his cheekbones and natural lip gloss on his lips. His hair was lightly spiked, no highlights for today. He flashed a smile at himself and went to prepare some breakfast.  
_

“You look smug.” Catarina said climbing into the backseat.

Magnus used to pickup his friends on most days. Today he was more than happy to pick them up. Raphael had called shotgun yesterday so he was sitting in front, while Catarina and Ragnor were at the back.

“I bet he hasn’t been able to wipe that off since yesterday.” Rapahel commented.

“Do you want me to scowl?” Magnus asked.

“Maybe. You look like your face is gonna crack.” Raphael smirked.

“As long as it doesn’t ruin my makeup, its okay.” 

“So did you guys text?” Cat asked.

“Really? Do I have to listen to this?” Ragnor whined.

“You can shut your ears if you want to.” Raphael quipped. Ragnor scowled and looked out of the window.

“We did. It felt really good, like we had already talked for ages.”

“Did you stay up all night?” Raphael asked.

“No.”

“Are you sure? You look a little tired.”

He frowned at Raphael. “No I don’t.”

“Magnus?” Catarina raised an eyebrow at him smirking.

“Okay I might have not slept my usual hours.” He said rolling his eyes.

Ragnor gasped. Raphael and Cat looked at him. Magnus was a little startled.

“You gave up your ‘beauty sleep’ for that boy?” Ragnor asked poking his head between the two front seats, looking at Magnus.

“Uh…I guess.”

“Good Lord!” Ragnor slumped back, his hand on his forehead. “You are that serious about him?”

“Yeah. I mean I want to get to know him.”

Nobody said anything. 

“Why? Is there any problem, Ragnor?” he asked.

“No. I just didn’t think it was that serious. He is not the first crush you have had.”

“Alexander is different. I don’t know why, but he is.” Magnus said softly and smiled.

“Clearly.” Ragnor mumbled.

Magnus didn’t understand Ragnor’s behaviour. He didn’t mind him not being interested in listening about Alec but now he seemed disturbed. He would have to talk to him, later, just the two of them.

_

Alec was relieved when he reached class on time, well on time for him was ten minutes before the class started. He woke up a little late because he had snoozed the alarm in his sleep. The aftermath of that was hurriedly getting ready, grabbing his bag and running to college. Only when Jace stifled a laugh looking at him, he realized how shitty he looked. His hair was out of sorts, his clothes looked like they had been pulled out of dumpster and he also looked sleep deprived. He was normally a sharp dresser, but right now he looked like someone with a white van full of candy. He tried fixing his hair a bit, running his fingers through them over and over. He unzipped his hoodie, pulled up the sleeves just below the elbows, straightened his shirt collar and pulled the hem down to straighten it out a bit. He had a hint of a stubble growing, well he couldn’t do anything about that.

Magnus walked in after a while. His eyes lit up when he saw Alec and winked at him. Alec blushed, but didn’t stop looking at him. 

“Oh my God! No wonder your face was a tomato yesterday.” Jace smirked.

Alec rolled his eyes.

He shifted his gaze back on Magnus. Boy, was he looking good. ‘He always looks good.’ 

They exchanged glances throughout the next three classes, but this time Alec was not completely distracted. His classes ended and he saw Magnus walk out with his friends, gesturing him to meet outside. 

“Hey.” Alec said walking up to Magnus. He saw that Catarina, Ragnor and Raphael were standing a few feet away talking amongst themselves. He himself had excused himself from Jace and Aline to talk to Magnus. They had left to get coffees from the cafeteria, to prepare for their next classes.

“Hey. Should I be sorry?” Magnus said.

“Why?”

“You look tired. Since morning in fact. Also, it looks like you woke up late.” Magnus glanced up and down.

“Why should you be sorry for that?” Alec was genuinely confused.

“You know, we stayed up late, texting.”

“And that’s your fault?”

“Well…”

“Magnus, you don’t have to be sorry for my choices. Even I’m not sorry for my choices. I liked texting you.”

Magnus smiled, his eyes sparkling. Alec saw Catarina and Raphael leave, whereas Ragnor stood there staring at him. 

“Well, atleast I get to go back and take a nap maybe. You have to sit through Psychology.” He said not thinking about the words coming out of his mouth.

Magnus raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Memorized even my schedule, have you?”

“Uh…I think you are getting late.” He stuttered out, a little flustered.

“Wait, do you have any plans for the weekend?”

“Um…not really.”

“So…” Magnus stepped closer to him, looking into his eyes, his brown and golden orbs shining with hope. “Will it be okay, if I asked you out?” 

Alec took a few moments to register that, a blush creeping up to his cheeks. “Like…on a date?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah…I would like that.” He couldn’t stop smiling, still blushing a little.

“Well, then I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” Magnus beamed.

Alec nodded and turned back walking towards the stairs, when he remembered something.

“Magnus.” He called and again quickly walked towards him. Magnus hadn’t moved much, he was talking to Ragnor. Hearing Alec, he turned towards him and took a few steps forward.

“Do I look that bad?” Alec said in a hushed voice. Normally he wouldn’t ask such a question to anyone, he would be very self-conscious but with Magnus he didn’t even think about it twice. He wanted to ask him, so he did.

Magnus seemed confused at first, then looked like he realized why he was asking that. He smiled.

“I wont lie, you do look out of sorts. But Alexander…” He stepped closer, putting his hand on Alec’s upper arm. Alec felt the same shiver when he heard his name. “…to me, you will always look beautiful regardless.” His last words almost a whisper, as if he only wanted Alec to hear them.

There it was again. Heart warming words of Magnus which made Alec speechless. 

“Uh…I…” He didn’t know what to say. Then he saw Ragnor who was still staring at him, almost scowling. “You should go, you will be late.” 

Magnus smiled and whispered. “Text me the reply, if you want.” And with that he walked away with Ragnor.

_

Magnus was pleased with the conversation he just had with Alec. He was in a happy mood throughout his class which surprisingly helped him pay more attention but he could sense Ragnor’s displeasure. After the class got over, he and Ragnor were walking towards his car, when he stopped him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” Ragnor asked.

“You know what I mean. You are being weird about Alec.”

Ragnor stayed quiet for a few seconds, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m not being weird.”

“Yes, you are! Now, would you tell me why?”

Ragnor stared at him for a moment and then opened his mouth. “I’m concerned for you.”

Magnus looked at him confused.

“Magnus, I am your oldest friend. I know you. I know where this is going. You don’t even know Alec and you are jumping into things. What if he hurts you?”

“You don’t know Alec. I do, even if its only a little. He is different.”

“That’s how it feels every time. You know that for a fact.”

“Don’t compare Camille and Imasu with Alec. He’s nothing like them. He’s pure, innocent, kind, trusting…honest.” Magnus was getting angry, his fists were clenched. He didn’t want to remember his past relationships. More importantly he was not going to hear anything bad said about Alec.

“Maybe he is. But even then, will he be able to give you what you want?”

His anger faded, as he continued to look at Ragnor, a little surprised. 

“You once told me, that the only thing you ever wanted was that the person you love, chooses you over everything and everyone else.” He paused. “Will Alec be able to do that?”

Magnus could hear the concern in his friend’s voice. He remembered the time he had said this. It was after he had broken up with Camille. He had come to realize a lot after that breakup, he had finally learnt to love himself, good and bad, all of it and he had promised himself that he wouldn’t accept anything less the next time he was with someone, if there was a next time.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. Just be careful.” Ragnor said softly. Magnus nodded.

_

He reached home after dropping off Ragnor. Chairman greeted him at the door meowing and rubbing against his legs. 

“Did you miss me?” He said to the cat, picking him up and cuddling him. The cat purred.

“Come lets eat. You must be hungry.”

He set him down and took out some food from the fridge. He had started a raw diet for Chairman after looking at endless YouTube videos on ‘best food for cats’. Setting his food down in his cute cat bowl, he put his own food in the microwave and went to change his clothes. After he got back, he plated last nights takeout which was now nice and warm and walked over to the couch, settling down against the cushions as he put in a mouthful. 

His phone pinged. He picked it up and saw that it was Alec. He sighed and kept his phone aside. He was still thinking about what Ragnor said. ‘Will Alec be able to do that?’ He didn’t know. Did he not have the same fears as Ragnor? That he might get hurt? Again? He did, he used to but seeing Alec, meeting him, talking to him had made him forget all about it. Chairman came and snuggled close to his thigh, still licking his whiskers. He petted him, relaxing a little when he purred.

“What do I do Chairman? Do I keep my heart locked up forever because of my fears?” He spoke to the cat softly. “I like Alec, I really do. Can I take a risk for him?” He sighed. “I asked him out tomorrow. I cant back off now. I mean I can but that would be rude and insensitive.” He was done eating, so he lied down on the couch, Chairman snuggling against his chest. He kept thinking about what he should do, whether he should trust Alec, whether he should trust his own heart. Soon, his eyes were closing and he had only one thought.

‘Is Alec really different?’

_

He woke up in the dark. Chairman was gone from his side. He got up and fumbled around to find the light switches. Looking at the clock he realized he had fallen asleep for a good three hours. It was quite the nap. He grabbed his copper water bottle from the kitchen and walked over to the couch again. With a mouthful of water, he grabbed his phone from the coffee table and unlocked the screen. He almost spit sprayed water from his mouth seeing a bunch of texts and five missed calls from Alec. He gulped down the water and called him immediately, concerned about what had happened, not even looking at the texts.

“Magnus?” Alec sounded urgent and concerned.

“Alexander, what happened?” Magnus was equally concerned.

“I should be asking that to you! I texted you, I called you so many times. Is everything alright?”

“Oh!” Magnus relaxed a little. “Everything is fine. I just fell asleep.”

“Oh! I got scared.” Alec said softly, still a tinge of concern in his voice.

Magnus melted a little.

“Its just…its not like you. Or that I guessed. You responded to my texts so quickly yesterday, I thought…” Alec sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…I hope you don’t think I’m clingy.”  
Magnus’s heart swelled up. He was right, Alec was indeed innocent and pure. He not only got concerned for him, but also apologized for it. How could he not give this boy a chance? With that came another realization. Alec was scared too. Maybe in a different way than him. But this was the first time he was experiencing these feelings, opening up to another person, someone he liked, trusting that person, wanting to be liked, to be cared for, to be accepted.

‘He chose me.’ 

“Magnus, are you there? Are you mad at me?” Alec said, his voice wavering a little.

He snapped out of his thoughts immediately. “What? No! You didn’t do anything wrong, Alexander. So, don’t apologize.” He paused. “In fact I’m touched.”

“Really? You don’t think I’m clingy, right?”

“No. You are caring.” There, another quality of Alec.

“I’m still sorry though. I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep.”

“Alexander, please stop. Your did nothing wrong. And no you didn't disturb me.” There was silence on the other side. “So, did you catch up on some sleep too?” Magnus said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Uh…no. Afternoon naps don’t work well for me. I stay awake the entire night if I fall asleep anytime during the day.”

“Oh! Then you should probably sleep early today.”

“Yeah. I guess I will.”

“Hmm. I’ll let you go then. I don’t want a sleepy Alexander on our date.”

Alec let out a laugh. “I don’t want that too.”

“Good night, Alexander.”

“Goodnight, Magnus.”

He ended the call and looked through the texts Alec had sent him. The last ones were frantic, they showed that Alec was really very concerned. But he read one over and over. It was the first text Alec had sent him that day.

Alec: To me, you’ll always be beautiful too.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the next chapter! It's an easy guess, it'll be their first date.


	10. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally they have their first date!

Alec was pacing in his room. Magnus would be there in two hours to pick him up and he hadn’t even decided what to wear. He had called Izzy asking for help. She had squealed with joy hearing the news, but didn’t help him out.

“He likes you for who you are. So just be you. And don’t be nervous. ” She had said.

Don’t be nervous? This was his first date, ever. He didn’t know what to do, how to dress. Magnus hadn’t even told him where they were going. “It will be a surprise.” He had texted. Alec groaned. He was running out of time. He decided to Google date outfits for men. After a lot of searching and scrolling, he finally decided on an outfit whose pieces he had and which he thought he would look good in.   
He showered quickly, shaved and got dressed. The outfit he had decided to wear was a dark plum t-shirt paired with black jeans and a black denim jacket. The t-shirt was a gift from Izzy a few years ago, it had gotten a little tighter now, hugging his chest and arms, complimenting them quite well. He wore black sneaker boots with white soles. Looking at his mirror he realized what he needed to fix was his hair. The dark locks looked messy no matter what he did. He tried his best to style them and in the end was satisfied with the results. The last thing he did was applying cologne, another gift from Izzy. He rarely used it, but today was a special day.

‘Done. And with time to spare.’

He fixed his room a little, straightening out the bedsheet, drawing the curtains of the singular window, folding his sweats neatly and keeping them on the bed. Even though he liked his stuff organized, normally he wouldn’t have bothered, but he was nervous, so he had to do something. 

Soon there was a knock on the door. Alec looked at himself one more time in the mirror, pulling the hem of his t-shirt down. He opened the door to a smiling Magnus. ‘Oh boy.’ Magnus was wearing a black shirt with blood red pants and a maroon velvet blazer. The first three buttons of his shirt were open and Alec could see his smooth caramel skin beneath two rose gold chains. A rose gold ear cuff adorned his right ear. He wore eyeliner as always with pecks of golden glittery eyeshadow, highlighter on his cheekbones and shiny natural looking lip gloss on his lips. 

“Wow.” He blurted out without even thinking.

“I should say the same. Though I miss that five o’ clock shadow you had yesterday.”

“Oh! I thought…I didn’t know you liked it.”

Magnus smiled. “Let’s not waste any time. Shall we?”

“Yeah.”

He locked the door and they walked out of the building together. Alec saw a shiny red Aston Martin parked outside. Its lights blinked as he saw magnus unlock it from a few feet away.

“That’s your car?”

Magnus eyes sparkled with a little surprise. “So, there are some things that you don’t know about me.”

“Well, I never saw you enter or leave the college.”

“Yeah, you’ll get know more than what you see of me in college then.”

They both smiled as they reached the car. 

“Oh wait!” Magnus stopped him from opening the door. Alec looked at him quizzically.

Magnus put his hand in the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a red rose, giving it to Alec.

“For me?” He asked.

“No, for the invisible man standing in between us.” Magnus rolled his eyes. “Of course, for you!”

He took it, blushing a little. Just like the other things, this was the first time someone gave him a rose. Well, someone who was a guy. Before he was out, Lydia used to give him roses every year on Rose Day. No matter how much he tried to hide from her on that day, she always managed to find him. Thankfully those days were over and now, not just any guy, but his crush gave him a rose on their first date. 

“Thank you.” He said with a soft voice.

_

They arrived at a small Thai restaurant roughly ten miles away from Alec’s dorm. Magnus had chosen this place one, because he liked it a lot, two, he always imagined being here on a date with Alec and three, Alec really liked Thai food. 

“Wow this place looks so welcoming. How come I have never been here?” Alec said looking at the minimalistic decoration of the restaurant as they entered. They had an Asian theme, with Feng Shui cats, bamboo pieces, red paper lanterns and a soothing hum of music.

A waiter greeted them and led them to their table, handing them menus once they were seated. Alec had taken off his denim jacket and placed it next to him. Magnus couldn’t help but notice the way the t-shirt was hugging his torso, the material stretching with every flex of his arms.

“Wow! I feel like eating all of these.” Alec said eyeing the menu. Magnus was brought back from his stupor.

“I can relate. Although I will recommend the Pad Thai. It’s one of the best I have ever had.”

“You know what, why don’t you order for the both of us? You have been here and I love all Thai food.”

Magnus smiled. “Okay.”

He ordered spring rolls and Thai fish cake for appetizers, Pad Thai, Massaman Chicken Curry for himself and Pad Thai, Green Chicken curry for Alec. 

“So, tell me more.” Magnus put his elbows on the table, resting his face on the right palm and looked at Alec.

“Um…what do you want to know?”

“Hmm…what do you want to do after college?”

“Look for a job and continue studying.”

“What kind of job?”

“Something on the lines of environment and sustainability management.”

“So that’s why you talk with Mr. Garroway so much.”

“Yeah. He has been guiding me with the prospects of the field.”

“That’s so cool! Working for the betterment of the world.”

Alec nodded. “What about you?”

“Oh! I have a lot of ideas but I think I am going to study further on Psychology.”

“You like to study people?”

“Yeah its fun. I was fairly intuitive regarding people since I was a child, but you know, studying the subject is a whole other thing.” 

“Hmm… are you any good?”

“Are you doubting my skills Alexander?”

“No, I’m just curious. Is there anything you can tell about me?” Alec raised his eyebrows.

Magnus looked at him for a moment, deciding whether to tell him what all he has understood about him or not. 

“There are many things I can tell about you but that’s not because of my interest in Psychology, its because of my interest in you.” He winked.

Alec’s eyes widened a bit and then he blushed looking down, letting out a chuckle.

“You are impossible.” He said smiling, his cheeks still pink. 

“What about your family? I know that you have a sister.” He had seen her pictures with Alec on his Instagram. They had followed each other the night they were texting.

“Yeah Izzy and I are really close. She’s a senior in high school now. I also have a younger brother, Max. He will be a freshman next year.”

“Oh. And what about your parents?”

Alec looked down. “They both work.” Was all he said as he kept looking down and rubbing his right thumb over his left forefinger.

“Touchy subject?” Magnus asked softly. 

Alec looked up. “Yeah.”

“We don’t have to talk about it.”

At that moment their food came. Magnus straightened up ready to tuck into the delectable food.

“But I want to.” Alec said right after the waiter left. 

Magnus looked at him not saying anything.

“We are supposed to share these things, aren’t we?” His eyes didn’t leave Magnus’s.

“Only if you are comfortable.”

“I am. You make me comfortable.”

Magnus gave a small smile. He wondered if he was also comfortable with Alec. Would he share his issues too? That was for later. He decided to listen to Alec now as they ate.

“Mmm. These spring rolls are heavenly.” Alec said closing his eyes in pleasure. “So, my parents don’t have the best marriage. They got married too young, not knowing completely about each other and as they grew older their love faded and turned into dislike. They tried to work it out, endless counselling and workshops, but nothing changed. But they pretended that everything was alright, in front of us, until a few years ago. They tried their best to be good parents and it seemed like they had finally figured something out. That was until I came out.” Alec sighed.

Magnus could see that he was tense, that he was hurt.

“Don’t stop eating, the food will go cold.” Alec said looking up at him. “This Green Chicken is amazing, do you want to try some?”

Magnus understood that he was trying to distract himself. Maybe something really bad had happened and remembering that was hurting him.

“I have tried almost everything here. You should try the Massaman Curry.” He pushed the dish towards Alec, urging him to have some.

“Thanks.” He helped himself with a piece of chicken and some curry. “Um…so after I came out, my parents started blaming each other for me being gay. No matter how hard I tried to make them understand that they had nothing to do with it, they didn’t listen. I don’t know what discussion they had after that, because a week later they told me that I was delusional not gay and they would fix me.”

Oh no. Homophobic parents. Magnus had not seen this coming. Alec had no doubt gone through a lot. Not being straight attracts a lot of hate from people, but when it comes from one’s own family, it hurts the most. 

“They showed me articles on why homosexuality is not a thing, made me watch videos on the same thing, tried setting me up with girls. I was a senior in high-school then, I decided to leave as soon as I got into college. Thankfully, they didn’t stop me.”

Alec was done eating. He placed his fork and spoon down on his plate and wiped his mouth with a tissue. 

“But even to this day, they don’t accept me from who I am. They keep pretending that I’m straight. When I was home during the semester break, one night my father asked me if I had a girlfriend. I told him that if they were going to keep pretending like this, I’m not going to talk to them, I’m not going to come back home, ever.” He let out another sigh. “And the fights started again along with calling me whatever came to their mouth. When I left, my mother told me to only return when I am no longer a shame to the family, to them.”

Alec’s voice was wavering. Magnus left his seat and placed himself next to Alec, pulling him close in an embrace. He knew there were no words he could say that would make him feel better. His heart cried for Alec, the innocent, caring and beautiful boy. Alec didn’t deserve this. Nobody did. 

Alec pulled back after a while. “I’m sorry for ruining our date.” He said looking down.

“Hey, you didn’t ruin anything. We had a wonderful dinner and I got to know you better.”

Alec peered into his eyes with a hint of remorse, not saying anything.

“Thank you for trusting me.” Magnus said softly, giving a soft squeeze to Alec’s hand. He nodded lightly. “Now, lets move on to our next stop.” He slid out of the seat and held his hand out for Alec. Alec looked up at him. 

“We have another stop?”

“Uh huh. I don't intend on ending our date so soon.”

He smiled and took Magnus’s hand and got up from the seat. 

Magnus paid for their meal, reasoning that he was the one who asked Alec out and they walked out into the cool night air, walking side by side, their hands brushing against each other. They got in the car and Magnus drove them to the next spot that he had planned. It was a park, small but neat. It had an old-fashioned look to it, with cobbled pathways, antique-looking street lights, wooden benches with carved armrests, two small fountains carved in stone, even the trees looked old. 

“I thought maybe we could take a walk.” He said looking at Alec who stood gaping with his mouth slightly open.

“How do you know these places?” He whispered.

“What can I say, I am quite the explorer.” He smirked.

They started walking on the cobbled path, Alec was looking around as if trying to grasp every little thing. Not a word was said for a while, but the silence was comfortable. Magnus rarely felt that way. He was smiling to himself and when he took a glance at Alec, he found that so was he. After a slow walk around the park, they settled down on one of the benches in front of one of the fountains. 

“You wanted to know why I had never done this before.” Alec said, finally breaking the silence. Magnus looked at him with anticipation. Sure, he had been curious, but today he thought he knew the reason. Alec was probably scared to be with someone with so much going on. But still, he waited for Alec to speak.

“I was afraid to accept myself as I am for a greater part of my life.” Alec said looking down at his hands. “And after I did…” He looked at Magnus. “I never felt for someone, the way I felt, the way I feel for you, the way I feel around you.”

Magnus didn’t expect that. He looked at Alec first a little wide-eyed, then his gaze softening as he reached to touch his cheek. 

“Alexander, that’s…” And again he felt him shudder just a little. He immediately drew his hand back, realizing that Alec did that almost every time he touched him. Alec looked at him confused.

“Okay I need to ask you something. Are you not comfortable with me touching you? Because you can tell me if you don’t like it. I wont mind.”

“What?” Alec looked even more confused than before.

“I can feel you tense up or shiver every time I touch you. Just like you did now. You don’t have to…”

But Alec cut him off. “Oh! No, that’s not…its not your touch, I like your touch.” He said hurriedly.

“Then what is it?” Now Magnus was confused. 

“Its…uh…it’s the way you say my name.” Alec looked a little shy and flustered.

“Oh no! You should have told me something. Of course! Everyone calls you Alec. I didn’t know what I was thinking calling you by your full name. I’m so sorry, I will call you Alec from here on.” Magnus was speaking fast, scared that Alec didn’t like being called by his full name, cursing himself internally for not asking him. 

“What? No! No, no, no. Don’t call me Alec.” Alec looked like he was pleading, eyes wide with some kind of desperation. “I like it when you call me Alexander.”

Magnus was puzzled at first, then the realization crept in. Alec didn’t shudder in disgust or dislike, he did so in pleasure. Like the goosebumps Magnus had when he had first seen Alec staring at him, or when their fingers brushed against each other, or when Alec had kissed him. He stared at him in awe, he didn’t know that saying Alec’s name could have that kind of an effect on him. Slowly his lips tugged into a smile.

“Is that so?” He cocked his head to a side. Alec averted his gaze, blushing. “Then I should call you by your name more often.”

Alec smiled and spoke softly. “I would like that.”

_

They drove back to Alec’s dorm after a while. 

“Thank you for everything. It was a really…amazing date.” Alec smiled at him, twirling the rose between his fingers.

“I’m glad you liked it. I feel the same way, Alexander.” He said, putting extra emphasis on his name.

Alec smiled. “Would you like to…maybe…come up?”

“I would love to but its quite late. Maybe next time?”

Alec nodded, smiling a little, unbuckled the seat belt and reached to open the door. He stopped at the handle for a moment and turned back towards Magnus. Within a second, he leaned in, cupping his cheek and pressing his lips against his. Magnus felt goosebumps on his entire body as he melted into the kiss. He didn’t expect a goodnight kiss, he had decided to take things slow. After all Alec had never dated before. He didn’t know that he missed Alec’s lips on his, this bad. Unlike their first kiss, this was soft, slow, sincere, caressing. This time, Alec was the first to slip his tongue inside Magnus’s mouth. Magnus was restricted by his seat belt, so he pulled Alec closer, one hand on his cheek, the other on his shoulder blade. He felt Alec’s hand move from his cheek to his neck slowly, sending shivers down his spine. He felt his fingers brush against his collarbone, tracing it ever so slightly and then they slipped inside his shirt, below the collar, still grazing against the collar bone. His skin felt like it was on fire as he sighed into Alec’s mouth. Alec’s fingers dipped a little lower, touching his chest and suddenly, he broke away, backing up against the car door slightly breatheless.

Magnus didn’t know what happened. Had he done something wrong? He looked at Alec, waiting for him to say something.  
“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…touch you.” Alec said gulping.

Magnus relaxed a bit. “You didn’t? That’s disappointing.” He said with a coy smile.

Alec stared at him wide eyed.

“It’s okay.” Magnus said as he reached for his hand. He gave it a little squeeze. Alec didn’t say anything, but he didn’t move either. Magnus pulled him slowly by his hand and brought it near his collarbone again, his fingers brushing against it.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll tell you if I’m uncomfortable.” And he let go of Alec’s hand.

Alec looked at him, then down at his neck and slowly slipped his hand in his shirt once more, his fingertips moving along the collarbone. He stopped when his palm rested on Magnus’s chest, almost right above his heart. 

“Your heart…its…”

Magnus knew what he was talking about. His heart was racing. Of course it was.

“Yeah, it does that, when you come close.” He whispered.

Alec looked at him and then blinked down, grabbing his hand and putting it on his chest over the jacket. Magnus could feel the fast beats. He bit his lip slightly. 

“Mine does too.” Alec whispered back, looking right into his eyes.

He leaned in once more, kissing him, softer, gentler, almost like a slow passionate kiss. Alec’s hand remained inside Magnus’s shirt but he didn’t move it further, just kept tracing his collarbone. Magnus had the urge to pull Alec into his lap, but he let Alec take control for now. 

After a while, they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily. 

“I’ll see you on Monday then.” Alec said. Magnus nodded. Alec got out of the car and closed the door. Then he bent to look in from the window.

“Text me when you reach home.”

Magnus smiled. “I will. Good night, Alexander.”

“Good night.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Cheesy, romantic, sweet? Let me know in the comments!


	11. Pleasant Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus are texting, but so are Alec and Izzy. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an extremely late update. I had an exam to prepare for, but now that I'm done with that, I'll try and complete this series soon. Enjoy reading!

A couple of months passed after that. Magnus and Alec went on a couple of more dates, though this time they were coffee dates. They were getting to know each other better. Like now Alec knew that Magnus had a cat named Chairman, that he was part Indonesian, that he loved dancing and parties. There were still some things Alec wanted to know but he didn’t push Magnus on subjects he seemed to avoid. Overall things were going great.

Alec’s phone buzzed. He was already texting Magnus, exchanging thoughts on the various films. Both of them were big movie buffs. But the recent text was from Isabelle.

Izzy: You seemed to have forgotten me.

Alec: I have not.

Izzy: Really? Check the last time you texted me.

Alec: Two days ago.

Izzy: Exactly!

Alec: That’s not a long time.

Izzy: Rude!

Alec: Okay, I’m sorry. Tell me, what’s up?

Alec waited for a reply. On the other hand Magnus had texted back.

Magnus: Oh the range of emotions I felt after watching Fight Club! I cannot even….

Alec: I think I just sat in silence for about twenty minutes after the movie ended.

_

Izzy: You! You are definitely on the ninth cloud right now!  
Alec: Why?

_

Magnus: I think we should talk about more underrated movies.  
Alec: Yeah. Have you watched Sunshine?

_

Izzy: You know I found Magnus’s profile.  
Alec: So?

_

Magnus: What makes you think I won’t watch a Cilian Murphy movie?   
Magnus: Of course I have watched it! The soundtrack gave me chills.  
Alec: Oh the sound of the spaceship right? I still get goosebumps remembering it.

_

Izzy: HE IS HOT!  
Alec: Really? Do I have to talk to my sister about this now?

_

Magnus: The visuals were stunning too.   
Alec: Visuals? Are you talking about Cilian? 😉

_

Izzy: How can you not? If I had a boyfriend that hot, I would practically scream it from the rooftops!  
Alec: ….

_

Magnus: Maybe… 😉  
Alec’s fingers hovered over the keypad. He was thinking what to reply, when Izzy texted.

Izzy: Oh come on! I know you want to! You are just shy.

Alec: I’m not shy. I don’t want to.

Izzy: Really? Are you sure?

Alec: Yes.

Izzy: Not even a little bit?

Alec thought about it for a moment. He saw Magnus had texted him again.

Magnus: Jealous?

Alec: Lol no. 

Magnus: Why did you stop talking then? Are you blushing again?

He saw that Izzy’s text pop up on the screen.

Izzy: Hello?????

Alec huffed and typed out the reply.

Alec: Even if I did, I shouldn’t be talking about how hot my boyfriend is.

Only after he hit send, did he realize that he had sent it to Magnus and not Izzy.

Shit.

He hadn’t told Magnus that he thought he was hot and stunning and beauty incarnate. They did exchange compliments every now and then, Magnus being more on the giving side of the compliments. Also more importantly, they hadn’t talked about being boyfriends. Alec had thought maybe he would ask him later, maybe make it a romantic moment.

He looked at the screen, fingers frozen in place, cursing himself internally. He read the texts before his and it didn’t even seem out of the blue. It kind of looked like something else. 

Magnus: Um…Cilian is your boyfriend?

That. That’s what it looked like. Alec groaned and face palmed himself. Now, maybe at some other time when Alec’s brain was functioning, he would have played along with that and the situation would have turned from embarrassing to something fun, but that was not the case that day.

Alec: Sorry, that was not meant for you.

And then he realised what he had just said. If the first message was not obvious, this one certainly was.

Magnus: Ah I see…  
Magnus: May I know, who this hot boyfriend is?   
Magnus: And exactly how hot he is?

Alec’s face was a deep red by then. There was no getting out of this. He had dug himself this pit of embarrassment. Taking a few moments helped him get his brain to function again.

Alec: No you may not.

Magnus: Come on! You can tell me.  
Magnus: Don’t you think I should know about your hot boyfriend?

Alec didn’t know what to say. What could he say? ‘Its you.’ Or ‘No, I don’t want to say.’ Or ‘I was kidding.’ Before he could decide, his phone buzzed again, but this time he was getting a call, from Magnus.

_

Magnus was a little confused at the first message. What was Alec getting at? Some sort of hypothetical celebrity boyfriend? But then the next message made things clear. Magnus had bitten his lip when he realized what he said. They hadn’t called each other boyfriends yet and Alec always looked flustered or in awe when he complimented Magnus. This was the first time he was being direct. Well, kind of direct, since the message wasn’t meant for him, but Magnus secretly thanked that other person for whatever conversation they were having with Alec.

“So who is it?” Magnus asked as soon as Alec received the call.

“Um…its…I was just kidding.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah…I’m bad at jokes.”

“So you mean to say that you don’t have a hot boyfriend?” 

“Uh…I…fuck.” He whispered the last word, like he was cursing himself. 

“I can sense you are blushing.” 

He heard Alec sigh.  
“I wish I had a hot boyfriend. But the guy I like is only interested in making me blush.”

Magnus chuckled.  
“Is this guy hot then?”

“He is extremely hot.”

Magnus’s breath caught in his throat. The way Alec said it made him feel goosebumps on his entire body.  
“So what is stopping you from being boyfriends?”

“I’m not sure if he wants to be.”

“Oh he definitely wants to be.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then, I guess I have a hot boyfriend now.”

“Extremely hot.”

“Yeah.” Alec said with a chuckle.

Finally. He wanted to shout out a ‘Yes!’ but he kept it aside for later, when no one except Chairman would hear him. Magnus swore to himself that he would find out who that text was for and personally meet and thank them, maybe even gift them a box of chocolates. 

“So, I was thinking maybe I could have a date with my boyfriend?” Alec asked.

“Yeah. That’s a great idea.” 

“Well I should start planning for it then.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

Right then Magnus remembered something. A comment he had wanted to make earlier.

“Wait!”

“Yeah?”

“I should let you know that I am interested in a lot more than making you blush.” He said flirtatiously.

Alec was quiet for a moment.

“I guess I won’t believe you until you show me what all you are interested in.” He replied with the same tone. 

“Oh my. Is boyfriend Alexander always this flirty?”

“I don’t know. You have to find out.”


End file.
